Energy bill conferees to tackle electricity title Thursday

Energy bill conferees to tackle electricity title Thursday

Washington (Platts)--20Jul2005

US House and Senate members negotiating a comprehensive energy bill are
scheduled Thursday to debate the electricity title, which, among other things,
would repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act, create a grid watchdog
and expand federal authority in transmission siting and merger review. Text of
the electricity title agreed upon by conference leaders was released this
afternoon. 

Members will meet Thursday to debate and offer amendments to the title. Key
provisions of the conference language include expanding Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission merger review over generation-only transactions in
excess of $10-mil and may approve participant funding plans to finance new
transmission projects. The proposed language also says the commission may
establish an electronic platform to provide the public with access to
information "on a timely basis" on the wholesale power market including prices
and transmission service availability.

The proposed title lacked text on a renewable portfolio standard, which the
Senate approved in its version of the bill. Under the Senate language,
electric utilities would be required to obtain 10% of their power from
renewable sources by 2020. Conference Chairman Joe Barton, the chairman of the
House Energy and Commerce Committee, has said he prefers including "clean"
energy sources such as low-emission coal rather than strictly renewables such
as wind or solar.

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