FERC OKs Santee Cooper's plan for access reciprocity

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presented by the commission in

NEWS

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The announcement was driven

Madison Gas and Electric Co.,

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s

chair. The chair would have a vote only in the case of a tie.

by the Wisconsin restructuring

Order No. 888.”

0

procedure run by the Wisconsin ex-

FERC OKs Santee Cooper’s Plan for Access Reciprocity

which is opposing the merger,

Public Service Commission,

said it was pleased that the FERC

plained Linda Brei of WPL. She

staff wants to see changes in the

said the conceptual model of the

proposed merger. MGE’s Greg

IS0 had to be filed in early May

Bollom told Electricity

Daily that

under the PSC process. Brei said

A

his utility thinks FERC is moving

there are actually three positions

mission sent South Carolina’s

in the right direction, but has not

in the Wisconsin process. One po-

Santee Cooper state power

gone far enough. ‘We believe that

sition is being advocated by Madi-

agency a “thank you” note, issu-

mitigating market power requires

son Gas & Electric, which calls

ing a declaratory order that San-

both divestiture and an IS0 for

for divestiture of generation and

tee Cooper’s voluntary open ac-

the control area,” he said.

t

its May 29 meeting, the Fed-

eral Energy Regulatory Com-

cess transmission tariff meets FERC standards. The action came

‘Conceptual ISO' Floated By Seven Midwest Utilities

under the “safe harbor” reciprocity provisions in FERC’s open access Order 888, provisions the state power agency suggested

group of utilities in the upper

AM

that FERC adopt. “They were

idwest in May proposed cre-

ating an independent system op-

creative,” Chair Betsy Moler said

erator to run the transmission

of Santee Cooper’s idea to use

grid in the region. The IS0 would

declaratory orders to assure reci-

operate in Wisconsin, Minnesota,

procity between utilities that are

Iowa and Illinois and would require approval by those states’

FERC jurisdictional and those that

regulators and the Federal En-

In giving Santee Cooper the or-

are not. transmission. The state’s other in-

der it wanted, FERC also created

ergy Regulatory Commission. The utilities-Wisconsin Power

vestor-owned utilities are advocat-

a new docket category-NJ,

& Light, IES Industries, Inter-

ing the ISO. The municipal utili-

non-jurisdictional-for

state Power Co., Dairyland

ties are pushing an IS0 that has

power systems filing voluntary

Power Cooperative, Northern

greater powers than the one advo-

open access tariffs. The commis-

States Power, Wisconsin Electric

cated by the IOUs. “Ours is IS-lit-

sion went out of its way to stress

and Wisconsin Public Service-

tle 0,” said Brei, “while the munis

that by making such filings, the

endorsed the principles of the up-

want IS-big 0.”

per-Midwest ISO. Individual utili-

In the plan outlined, the IS0

non-jurisdictional

or

public

utilities do not

become subject to the commis-

ties would retain their ownership

board would be split, with five

sion’s jurisdiction. In its order in

of transmission and physical con-

seats going to transmission-own-

the case (NJ96-l-000),

trol of the system, and the IS0

ing utilities, and five to transmis-

Santee Cooper will have to make

would guarantee fair access and

sion-dependent utilities. The 10

some modifications in its tariff,

equal representation of transmis-

board members would pick an

but FERC staff said those changes

sion owners and users regardless

eleventh member, who is not affili-

were very minor and that Santee

of size in the governance of the

ated with either of the stakehold-

system.

ers, and who would serve as

Cooper had gone out of its way to make sure its tariff fits with

FERC said

FERC’s pro forma tariff. H

July 2996

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