More on How Energy Deregulation Hits Home
NStar accused of skimping on maintenance to boost profits
BOSTON The attorney general has asked state regulators to fine NStar $22.5 million for skimping on maintenance in order to boost profits, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers suffering from power outages
iSay - Reminincent of the same results when the airlines were deregulated.
Bush Opened Door to Enron, but Not to a State in Crisis
By DIANNE FEINSTEIN
Dianne Feinstein, a U.S. senator from California, is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
January 30 2002
Although prices for energy in California and the West have mostly returned to normal, the Enron bankruptcy continues to raise questions about the level of influence that energy companies had over the Bush administration during the California energy crisis and the formulation of President Bush's energy policy.
At this time last year, I wrote the first of three letters to the president requesting a meeting to discuss California's dire energy situation. These requests were denied. During this period, however, energy executives had access to senior administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney.
On the day I sent my first letter, Jan. 20, 2001, California was experiencing its sixth straight day of Stage 3 energy emergencies, meaning that energy reserves were less than 1.5% above demand. The streak would last 34 days and would involve several economically crippling and life-threatening blackouts. During this month, the average price for electricity was about 10 times higher than the typical price for energy in January. Natural gas prices in Southern California were six times higher than they were at the same time in 2000.
Meanwhile, energy companies--including ones that would help to craft the administration's energy policy--were reporting earnings for the year. Enron and its affiliates' earnings grew 97% in 2000 from 1999; Duke and its affiliates' earnings were up 226%; Reliant and its affiliates' earnings increased by 166%; and Williams and its affiliates' earnings grew 127%.
"The deregulation debacle" and "Power and the people"
Letters to Salon.com
Energy vultures
California's electricity crisis could have been avoided if profiteering power-generating companies hadn't blocked further deregulation.
e-Mag platts hopes to have THE LAST WORD about energy dergulation and what their vision of the future is. The cynical me can't help but think this is a paid propaganda piece.
The Heating Horror
A short three years ago the price of a gallon of home heating oil jumped by more than 80% in NYC.
 8:36:17 AM comment
|
