Wall Street Journal Asking for Our Data

URGENT REPLY AND ACTION NEEDED

Folks,

Rebecca Smith of the Wall Street Journal called me today and asked how
she could access the bid data the ISO has for the generators in order to
do an investigative in-depth analysis of what has occurred in
California's wholesale power market. Before I get into the details of
her request, I would urge you in the strongest way possible to consider
her request, and grant it. We need the light of truth to shine on our
business, and the Wall Street Journal may be one of our best aids. And
consider this, the data will be available to her in six months, anyway.

Rebecca's intent is to study the data, and understand the true behavior
of the wholesale market for a given month. She said July 2000 would
work. Her hypothesis is unlikely that the hype by Gov Davis and the
State of accusing in-state and out-of-state generators of being gougers
and the guitly parties , and can be deminished by the data. She thinks
there are plenty of people in the generation market who are playing this
straight as an arrow. Without the data, she can't say anything
conclusive. (of course, I wonder how she will gather the UDC bid data?)

I have one question. Did the ISO give the detailed bid data to the EOB
or the PUC? I thought because neither the EOB nor the ISO would or
could keep the data confidential, the detailed bid data was not
released, only the aggregate data.

I asked her if she would keep the data confidential, in other words, not
pass it on to other parties. She said she could. I asked her if other
assocaites of the Wall Street Journal would have access to the data.
She said probably in order to do an in depth analysis others would have
access on a need to know basis, but that the data would not leave the
Wall Street Journal's control.

Tell me what we should do, and tell me quickly.

gba