cozy relationship between cdwr and iso to end ? question of propriety might end access to control room
by toby eckert
copley news service
august 21 , 2001
washington - - electricity buyers for the state are expected to lose access to a power - grid control room next month , now that a california congressman has raised questions about the propriety of the arrangement .
but a spokesman for the california department of water resources , which began buying electricity for the state during the ongoing power crisis , denied the move was a response to rep . doug ose ' s objections .
with the crisis no longer so acute , there is less need for water resources personnel to have access to the independent system operator ' s control room in folsom , said oscar hidalgo , a water resources spokesman .
" we ' re basically trying to cycle out of there , " he said .
ose , r - sacramento , spotlighted the water resources department ' s access to the control room during a house subcommittee hearing aug . 2 . in a prepared statement , he charged that the arrangement allowed the water resources department " to cherry - pick its power purchases . "
ose said the arrangement violated federal regulations and " possibly cost californians billions of dollars in potential refunds . "
the federal energy regulatory commission has said department of water resources contracts should not be subject to refunds the state is seeking for over - priced power , contending the agency had a competitive advantage .
among those who once had access to the room were four energy consultants to the state who were fired for owning stock in a power company from which they were purchasing electricity .
appointees of gov . gray davis oversee both the iso and the water resources department .
hidalgo said water resources personnel needed access to the control room to coordinate power purchases during a crisis situation .
" in order to keep the lights on in california , this was something that was necessary , we felt , " he said . " we did our best to minimize our exposure to any material that was not intended for our usage . "
his comments echoed iso president terry winter ' s defense of the practice before the house subcommittee .
with numerous long - term power contracts in place and the threat of blackouts receding , water resources has set a goal of removing all personnel from the control room by sept . 1 , hidalgo said .
six water resources personnel still have access to the room , he said .
last week , winter sent a memo to ose listing nine people who had access to the room and 14 others who no longer had access .
copyright 2001 union - tribune publishing co .
cozy relationship between cdwr and iso to end ?
question of propriety might end access to control room
by toby eckert
copley news service
august 21 , 2001
washington - - electricity buyers for the state are expected to lose access to a power - grid control room next month , now that a california congressman has raised questions about the propriety of the arrangement .
but a spokesman for the california department of water resources , which began buying electricity for the state during the ongoing power crisis , denied the move was a response to rep . doug ose ' s objections .
with the crisis no longer so acute , there is less need for water resources personnel to have access to the independent system operator ' s control room in folsom , said oscar hidalgo , a water resources spokesman .
" we ' re basically trying to cycle out of there , " he said .
ose , r - sacramento , spotlighted the water resources department ' s access to the control room during a house subcommittee hearing aug . 2 . in a prepared statement , he charged that the arrangement allowed the water resources department " to cherry - pick its power purchases . "
ose said the arrangement violated federal regulations and " possibly cost californians billions of dollars in potential refunds . "
the federal energy regulatory commission has said department of water resources contracts should not be subject to refunds the state is seeking for over - priced power , contending the agency had a competitive advantage .
among those who once had access to the room were four energy consultants to the state who were fired for owning stock in a power company from which they were purchasing electricity .
appointees of gov . gray davis oversee both the iso and the water resources department .
hidalgo said water resources personnel needed access to the control room to coordinate power purchases during a crisis situation .
" in order to keep the lights on in california , this was something that was necessary , we felt , " he said . " we did our best to minimize our exposure to any material that was not intended for our usage . "
his comments echoed iso president terry winter ' s defense of the practice before the house subcommittee .
with numerous long - term power contracts in place and the threat of blackouts receding , water resources has set a goal of removing all personnel from the control room by sept . 1 , hidalgo said .
six water resources personnel still have access to the room , he said .
last week , winter sent a memo to ose listing nine people who had access to the room and 14 others who no longer had access .
copyright 2001 union - tribune publishing co .
