Subject: ferc orders westwide price controls - - first news out
urgent
washington ( ap ) federal regulators voted monday to order price
restraints on electricity sales across the west but not the
stringent cost - based controls sought by california .
the 5 - 0 vote by the federal energy regulatory commission
followed intense pressure not only from california gov . gray davis
and democrats newly in charge of the senate but also from house
republicans worried that spiraling power prices in the west could
affect the 2002 election .
ferc chairman curtis hebert said the order , effective through
september 2002 , will benefit consumers but also will ` ` provide
every incentive for suppliers to reduce costs . ' '
the order expands price restrictions the agency imposed in april
on wholesale electricity sales in california during peak demand
periods when blackouts were threatened .
sue mara
enron corp .
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