Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., announced Tuesday that she joined a group of Western Democrats in signing a letter critical of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The letter was sent Monday to President Bush. It criticizes him and his appointees on the five-member commission for failing to order refunds for utilities harmed during the 2000-01 Western energy crisis by Enron Corp. and other companies.

The state of California sued FERC over its failure to order refunds from power marketers. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in September found that the federal agency "failed to enforce the law and unfairly denied billions in potential refunds," the congress members stated in the letter.

"Consumers in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have been harmed by the unscrupulous activities of energy suppliers and deserve refunds that FERC has so far denied," the letter states.

Walt Higgins, chairman and chief executive of Sierra Pacific Resources, parent of Nevada Power Co., supported Berkley's position.

Nevada Power Co. and Sierra Pacific Power Co. did not ask FERC to give it a refund, said spokeswoman Sonya Headen, but they asked FERC to determine that Enron improperly canceled the power contracts that led to a $336 million judgment against the Nevada utilities,

A hearing is scheduled on Dec. 14.

Sierra Pacific Reosurces shares fell 15 cents, or 1.65 percent, Tuesday to close at $8.95.