Electric Power news briefs, June 20

AES Corp. unit NewEnergy, Dover, Del., has received its license to sell electricity to Delaware retail customers. NewEnergy, which sells electricity to commercial and industrial customers in competitive electric markets, is already serving customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. NewEnergy will continue to focus on commercial and industrial users of electricity and will serve customers through its regional subsidiary NewEnergy East LLC. The company will initially focus on consumers in Conectiv Inc.'s territory.

Carolina Power & Light Co., Raleigh NC, said it has established a new holding company, CP&L Energy Inc. CP&L is a utility company serving 1.2 million electric customers in the Carolinas, along with the company's natural gas, fiber optic, and energy-related services companies. CP&L Energy, the temporary name for the new holding company, will be renamed as part of a corporate branding initiative at the close of CP&L's acquisition of Florida Progress Corp. later this year. CP&L Energy will be organized into five primary business units: energy supply, energy delivery, Florida Power, gas and energy services, and energy ventures. In addition, a service company will be formed to support the holding company.

Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc., New York, Monday reported it will begin routine testing of plant systems at its Indian Point 2 nuclear generating station in Buchanan, NY, on or about June 20. The testing is being performed in preparation for returning the plant to operational status and will involve pressurizing and heating piping systems to levels below normal operating conditions. The nuclear reactor will remain shutdown while the testing is in progress. Approval of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is required prior to restarting the plant, which was taken out of service on Feb.15, 2000. Since February, the plant's staff has completed extensive inspections and analysis of the facility's operating equipment, including its four steam generators.

Westinghouse Electric Co., Pittsburgh, a subsidiary of the UK's troubled state-owned BNFL PLC, reported it will consolidate its controlled radiological sites in Chattanooga, Tenn., Spartanburg, SC, and Windsor, Conn., into an existing Madison, Pa. site to reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies. Westinghouse said the consolidation will result in the loss of about 60 nuclear services jobs in the US and 4 in Europe. Currently, about one-third of BNFL's sales comes from the Westinghouse Electric business, which manufactures fuel and services nuclear reactors around the world, and one-fourth comes from the recycling of UK and overseas customers' fuel. BNFL said it expects decommissioning to grow significantly in the future.

The Michigan Public Service Commission, Jackson, Mich., has dismissed an electric rate complaint against Consumers Energy Corp., the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy Corp., Dearborn, Mich. The complaint filed by the Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity (ABATE) Oct.14, 1997, alleged that Consumers Energy had overcollected from its electric customers since 1995 and sought a an electricity rate reduction of about $189 million/year. In its order, MPSC said ABATE's complaint would be inconsistent with Michigan's June 3 electricity deregulation law.