Meetings held during
the visit and the major issues discussed
(Lunches, receptions, etc. have
been excluded.)
WASHINGTON - SUNDAY DECEMBER
8TH
Briefing Supper with officials
from the British Embassy, Washington
| Topics:
| The heavy-handedness of US regulation
|
| The `bright line' between State and Federal energy regulatory responsibilities
|
| Moves towards further liberalisation in gas and electricity
|
| Environmental standards and taxes
|
| Nuclear generation, decommissioning and reprocessing of spent fuel
|
WASHINGTON - MONDAY DECEMBER
9TH
Breakfast meeting with Enron
Corporation
| Topics:
| Energy deregulation to date
|
| Prospects for further deregulation in electricity retail sales.
|
| Variations between individual States' regulatory regimes and progress towards deregulation
|
| |
| The structure and role of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
|
| Natural Gas interstate pipelines
|
| Unbundling
|
| Consumer Protection
|
Meeting with Charles Grey,
Assistant General Counsel, National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners
| Topics:
| Stranded Investments
|
| Variations between individual States' regulatory regimes and progress towards deregulation
|
| |
| Unprofitable customers
|
| Nuclear power in a deregulated market
|
| National Regulatory Research Institute
|
| Regulation and environmental protection
|
| Foreign investment and ownership in the US energy industry
|
| Renewable technologies
|
Meeting with Commissioner
Massey, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
| Topics:
| Role, structure, staffing and workload of FERC
|
| Requiring unbundling and divestment
|
| Market share targets
|
| Strategic fuel mix policy
|
| Transparent regulation and commercial confidentiality
|
| Unprofitable customers
|
| Nuclear decommissioning
|
Meeting with Rep. Boucher
(Democrat)
| Topics:
| Congressional control over regulatory commissions
|
| Public understanding of and concern over deregulation
|
| Role of the House Sub-Committee on Energy and Power
|
| Regulation and environmental protection
|
| Industry restructuring and employment
|
Meeting with Edison Electric
Institute
| Topics:
| Deregulation and the Energy Policy Act 1992
|
| The pros and cons of a collegiate system
|
| Quality of regulatory staff
|
| Variations in deregulation between States
|
| Deregulation in California (stranded investment, domestic consumers,
|
| RPI-X versus rate of return)
|
| Energy efficiency
|
NEW YORK - TUESDAY DECEMBER
10TH
Meeting with Consolidated
Edison
| Topics:
| Scope of Federal regulation
|
| State regulation and diversification
|
| Security of supply
|
| Rate of return and incentive-based price controls
|
| Real time pricing experiment
|
| Generation in New York
|
| Financing investment
|
Meeting with New York City
Department of Environmental Protection
| Topics:
| Role of New York City Department of Environmental Protection
|
| Water and sewerage regulation
|
| Political appointment of commissioners
|
| Determining price controls
|
| Water quality programmes, fluoridization, filtration
|
| Privatisation and employees
|
Meeting with PSE&G
| Topics:
| Federal and State regulation
|
| Ownership of the electricity industry
|
| Independent system operators
|
| Setting price controls
|
| Variations in tax regimes from State to State and the effect on fair competition
|
| Security of supply
|
| Depreciation
|
| Environmental and social concerns
|
| Regulatory staff
|
| Company resources devoted to regulation
|
New Jersey Public Utility
Commission
| Topics:
| Structure of the Commission, appointment of Commissioners
|
| Power pools
|
| Independent system operators
|
| Consumer education
|
| Cherry-picking/social dumping - `supplier of last resort'
|
| Environmental protection and energy efficiency
|
| Regulatory costs and resources
|
| Prudent investment and stranded assets
|
BOSTON - WEDNESDAY DECEMBER
11TH
Meeting with Michael Donlan
of Dangel, Donlan and Fine, (attorneys specialising in energy
regulation), Prof Michael Best, University of Lowell, and Prof
Henry Lee, Harvard School of Government
| Topics:
| Energy prices and industrial competitiveness
|
| Efficiency versus innovation
|
| Technological management and planning
|
| Nuclear generation
|
| Fuel mix
|
| Total quality management
|
| Consequences of the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act 1978 on generation
|
| Environmental protection
|
| FERC's Order 888
|
| Stranded investment
|
Meeting with Commonwealth
Energy Systems
| Topics:
| Objectives of deregulation
|
| Transitional period
|
| Department of Public Utilities and price controls
|
| Unbundling in the gas industry
|
| New England Regional Transmission Group
|
| Regulation in Massachusetts
|
| Customer Service
|
BOSTON - THURSDAY DECEMBER
12TH
Meeting with Boston Edison
| Topics:
| Statutory duties of State and Federal regulators
|
| Rate setting
|
| Demand side management and conservation programmes
|
| Structure of the energy industry in New England
|
| Investment and divestiture
|
| Generation
|
| Department of Public Utilities
|
Meeting with Xenergy Inc
| Topics:
| Xenergy and energy auditing
|
| Forces for deregulation in electricity
|
| Wires ownership and transmission
|
| Gas deregulation
|
| Imprudent investment and stranded assets
|
| New Hampshire electricity retail sales pilot
|
| Smart billing
|
Meeting with the Department
of Public Utilities (DPU)
| Topics:
| Companies regulation by the DPU
|
| DPU resources
|
| Performance-based regulation
|
| Consumer representation and protection
|
| Demand side management and environmental protection
|
