FERC approves settlement with Canadian utility in California Crisis
WASHINGTON -- - The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently approved a $1.3 million settlement with Powerex, a unit of Canada's B.C. Hydro, to resolve allegations that it manipulated electricity markets during California's energy crisis.
The agreement settles allegations that Powerex used trading tactics to inflate energy prices during the 2000-01 crisis.
Last year, FERC commissioners ordered some 43 major utilities, smaller energy traders and city-owned utilities to prove they did not violate trading rules to boost profits.
Powerex and other companies denied any wrongdoing and said the soaring electricity costs simply reflected market conditions and California's poorly designed electricity deregulation plan. Powerex will return $1.3 million in revenues to its customers to settle charges that it "participated in alleged gaming practices" with failed energy trading giant Enron Corp., FERC said in its order.
The utility, owned by the province of British Columbia, welcomed the initial deal reached with FERC trial staff in October as a way to end costly litigation.
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Germany is first major economy to phase out coal and nuclear
BERLIN - German lawmakers have finalized the country's long-awaited phase-out of coal as an energy source, backing a plan that environmental groups say isn't ambitious enough and free marketeers criticize as a waste of taxpayers' money.
Bills approved by both houses of parliament Friday envision shutting down the last coal-fired power plant by 2038 and spending some 40 billion euros ($45 billion) to help affected regions cope with the transition.
The plan is part of Germany's `energy transition' - an effort to wean Europe's biggest economy off planet-warming fossil fuels and generate all of the country's considerable energy needs from renewable sources.…
