![]() |
Enron Mail |
Here's a start. Try 'em out for size. More to follow.
Best, Jeff Price caps have failed in the past and they'll fail again. FERC's and California's immediate goal ought to be to make the bold reforms necessary to create real, competitive markets and eliminate the need for price caps altogether. The most important reforms include: Reforming California's siting laws to permit entry of supply---best way to undermine "high" prices is easy entry by competitors Reforming the PUC review of utility purchases Give the utilities financial incentives to purchase efficiently (i.e., similar to California's gas market, where a benchmark is set and the IOUs profit or lose on the basis of whether the IOU does better or worse than the benchmark). It ain't rocket science, and it works. The CPUC gets out of the way and stops the practice of "after-the-fact" reviews of power purchases. Creating a retail market If California/FERC adopt these reforms, the need for caps will vanish. FERC got a lot right in the order, but the price cap proposal is flawed. Price is too low to incent development of peakers---well-functioning, efficient markets require peakers. Information disclosure provisions are too costly and unnecessary. Disincents energy efficiency. IEP written comments will offer suggestions on how to remedy the flaws in the proposed cap.
|