Speaker Pelosi

[L.Fite]

Most only schedule for their needs or projections and do not purchase any extra from the gas transporters. They can purchase contingent/reserved gas which costs extra in case of unknowns of things like just happened however, most do not due to the cost.

Pre deregulation the PUC wouldn't have allowed that...

As Pogo once said:
"We has meet the enemy, and we is them"

[63corvette]

[QUOTE=L.Fite;634846]Most only schedule for their needs or projections and do not purchase any extra from the gas transporters. They can purchase contingent/reserved gas which costs extra in case of unknowns of things like just happened however, most do not due to the cost.

Pre deregulation the PUC wouldn't have allowed that...


In most cases if and only if the regulators were paying attention on both sides of the utilities.
I worked for a large gas pipeline company in the 1980's in pipeline operations when the pipelines were deregulated and made presentations to many electric and gas utilities following deregulation. The utilities at that time were clueless as to what had happened to the scheduling of gas to their plants/cities. Now that they were in charge of that process for their operations.
Before deregulation of the pipelines the gas pipelines were hammered if a gas shortage took place by state and federal regulators if it was an interstate operation.
After deregulation the pipelines were just like FedEx and UPS and made transportation take place only at the direction of the purchaser of the gas to be delivered to.
Following deregulation of the pipelines the utilities were clueless on how to handle the scheduling.
Enron, remember Enron took advantage of that scheduling issue with the utilities and put together a large scheduling desk in their Houston office. They made big bucks in scheduling the gas deliveries around the country on their pipelines and other pipelines. I think they also did get into electric deliveries and scheduling on a small scale.
California had their on system as only a California utility could operate in the state.
Everything changed hands at the state border. Intrastate operations only no interstate.
Full control by State of California regulators.
Enron worked the system and made it work to their advantage and made huge profits in buying/owning and scheduling natural gas and electricity into the California markets.
I do not know of anyone going to jail for the issues created by deregulation and some of the utilities being taken advantage of.
This situation is sort of what just happened in Texas.
No one seemed to be in charge of making sure electricity or gas was available for the extremes. ERCOT was missing in action.
Plenty of blame to go around.
Just My Observations
Rick Cates
Canyon, TX