FERC targets 17 Enron wind farms, cogen plants
Date: 11-Jul-03
Country: USA
The FERC has already begun reviewing Enron's ownership of five cogeneration facilities in Nevada and New Jersey.
A 1978 federal law requires U.S. electric utilities to buy renewable wholesale electricity from so-called "qualifying facilities," which must be owned by independent power producers. The law allows such plants to charge premium prices for their power.
"The ownership status of every qualifying facility cited by Enron is in question," FERC lawyers said in a filing.
"There has been insufficient time to date to ascertain with certainty that any specific qualifying facilities has fully complied with the qualifying facility ownership criteria throughout the period of time in which it has been affiliated with Enron and/or its affiliates," the lawyers added.
Last month, California energy officials announced that 10 wind energy plants owned by affiliates of bankrupt Enron agreed to refund the state nearly $634,000. The refunds are linked to production incentives the state gave the plants to encourage renewable energy projects.
FERC lawyers said they wanted to investigate the ownership of the following 17 plants:
* Colstrip Energy Limited
* EcoElectrica LP
* Elizabethtown Power LLC
* Green Power Partners LLC
* Lumberton Power LLC
* Painted Hills Wind Developers
* Ponderosa Pine Energy Partners
* Sithe/Independence Power Partners
* Zond-PanAero Windsystem Partners I
* Zond-PanAero Windsystem Partners II
* Zond Systems Inc
* Zond Systems Inc
* Zond Windsystem Partners Lgd, Series 85-C
* Ada Cogeneration Limited
* Michigan Power Limited
* Onandaga Cogeneration Limited
* Victory Garden Power Partners
The case is pending before FERC in docket EL03-117.
