Posted on 01/08/2003 5:28:20 AM PST by snopercod
You are really on target with that one.
Some of these folks sold their soul and professional reputation to try to help out California when times were tough by doing anything and everything to try to implement what Davis and his upper management appointees wanted.
It is a shame.
Good point on sending an e-mail to the author and thanking her for her courage and initiative in pursuing the truth.
I've been following the energy situation in California for over two years now, and collect many of these articles on my hard drive. I guess you could call me a "calpowercrisis groupie".Anyway, I was very impressed with your article "CAISO Report Sees Little Revenue Reaped From Mkt Gaming" - you were the only reporter out there who wrote of the minuscule amounts that the energy companies "might" have manipulated from California.
It is fascinating that the only outlet which picked up your story was Yahoo!, and they put it in the "International News" section. I'm not sure what that means, since your article was certainly newsworthy, if not politically correct.
Keep up the good work, and thanks again for telling the truth.
Mirant, other energy firms prevail in fighting Washington suit
AJC wires report
Mirant Corp., Williams Cos. and seven other energy companies won the dismissal of a suit by a Washington state public utility that claimed the companies colluded to create artificially high electricity prices.
A federal judge in San Diego ruled that the claims made by the Snohomish County Public Utility District, north of Seattle, should instead be considered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The generators have faced similar market manipulation suits since the disclosure of Enron Corp. documents that said traders may have artificially increased energy prices.
The judge's decision indicates that the companies also may be able to dismiss claims filed in San Francisco by California officials and consumers. Snohomish plans to appeal.
Also I think you are correct in that the courts and FERC seem to be getting tired of all the whinning power companies. Actually, depending on the utility, I feel that many of the legal challenges were more to provide "cover" to politicians for the bad choices made on "their watch" than they were viable legal arguments. Kind of the poltiical equivalent to "spray & pray." I guess the elected officials felt that if they filed enough law suits using different legal theories, one might stick and even if the chanees were remote, it was worth the money (especially since it would provide political sound bites indicating it wasn't the politician's fault that bad things happened.) Got to love the American Legal system.
As a society we need to get serious about Tort Reform.
I just got a nice "you made my day" thank you note from Ms. Jessica. Eat your heart out, my friend.
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