U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Electricity and

Energy Assurance

ENERGY ASSURANCE DAILY

February 17, 2005

Electricity

Duke Power to Prepare a COL Application for New Nuclear Plant

Duke Power plans to prepare a combined construction permit-operating license (COL) application for a new nuclear plant, a company official said today. Duke Power believes a nuclear plant to be the best option for new baseload generation. Duke plans to make a selection on the reactor technology and plant site by year-end. The company is looking at sites within the Duke Power service territory, he said.
http://www.platts.com/Nuclear/News/1173080.xml?S=n

1,280 MW South Texas 2 Nuke Exits Outage, Up to 28 Percent Power

The 1,280-megawatt unit 2 at the South Texas nuclear station in Texas exited an outage and ramped up to 28 percent of capacity by early Thursday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in its daily reactor status report. The unit shut on Feb. 9 to repair a small leak in the reactor coolant system.
Reuters, 0742 February 17, 2005

Update -- TVA’s 1,114 MW Browns Ferry 3 in Alabama Up to 85 Percent Power

Tennessee Valley Authority's 1,114-megawatt unit 3 at the Browns Ferry nuclear station in Alabama ramped up to 85 percent of capacity by early Thursday. On Wednesday, the unit was operating at 42 percent of capacity after exiting an outage earlier in the week. The unit shut on Feb. 11 after the generator unexpectedly disconnected from the grid.

Reuters, February 17, 2005

Duke Energy's 846 MW Oconee 3 Reactor in South Carolina Shuts Down

Duke Energy Corp. said its 846-megawatt Oconee 3 nuclear reactor in South Carolina shut down early this morning because of a leak in an instrument control line for the steam generator. No estimate is available for the length of the shutdown.

Reuters, 1012 February 17, 2005

Edison International’s 790 MW Mohave 1 Power Unit in Nevada Shut Feb 17

California-based energy company Edison International's 790-megawatt unit 1 at the Mohave coal-fired power station in Nevada shut for planned and unplanned reasons by early Thursday, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) said in a report. Unit 2, meanwhile, was curtailed by 85 MW for planned and unplanned reasons early Thursday, according to the ISO report.

Reuters, 1041 February 17, 2005

Constellation's 470 MW Ginna Reactor in New York Shuts Feb 16

Constellation Energy Group Inc.'s Ginna nuclear plant near Rochester, New York, shut at 9:12 p.m. last night when power was lost to the system that controls the flow of water to the reactor. The unit will resume production after the power supply is restored and tested, said David Joslin, a spokesman for the Baltimore-based company.

Reuters, 1234 February 17 2005

Petroleum

BP to Take Down Boiler at a Texas City FCC Unit for a Day

BP Products on Thursday filed with regulators to take out of service a waste heat boiler in a fluid catalytic converter unit at its 470,000 barrel per day Texas City, Texas, refinery for about 16 hours on February 17 due to a steam balance in the refinery.

Reuters, 1319 February 17, 2005
Natural Gas

Shell Wins U.S. Permit for LNG Terminal off Louisiana

Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Europe's largest oil company by market value, won a U.S. permit to construct a liquefied natural-gas terminal in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Landing terminal becomes the third offshore LNG project to receive U.S. federal approval. ChevronTexaco Corp.'s Port Pelican project was first, in November 2003, followed by closely held Excelerate Energy LLC in December of that year.

Bloomberg News, 1221 February 17, 2005

FERC Chairman Calls Alaskan Gas Pipeline 'Most Important' to U.S. Gas Supply
Completing the Alaskan natural gas pipeline is key to increasing domestic gas supply, FERC Chairman Pat Wood II told a Houston audience on Wednesday. He also predicted that the United States will have at least eight new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities by 2008 -- but without a new Alaskan pipe and more LNG, "the numbers do not add up" for future U.S. gas demands.
Natural Gas Intelligence, February 16, 2005

http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5DZlolrposVTkhy30qbfek%5C%21

Other News

Kevin Kolevar Named to Lead Energy Department's Office of Electricity and Energy Assurance
U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman announced on Wednesday that Kevin Kolevar has been named director of the Department of Energy’s newly established Office of Electricity and Energy Assurance. The new office will develop and help implement national policy pertaining to electricity transmission and distribution, electric grid reliability, and electric grid technology research and development. It will also lead federal efforts to help ensure and secure the reliable flow of energy to homes, industry, public service facilities and the transportation system. http://www.doe.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17465&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE

Energy Prices

Latest (02/17/05) / Week Ago / Year Ago
CRUDE OIL
West Texas Intermediate US
$/Barrel / 47.50 / 47.05 / 35.13
NATURAL GAS
Henry Hub
$/Million Btu / 6.05 / 6.21 / 5.43

Source: Reuters

This Week in Petroleum from the Energy Information Administration (EIA)

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp

Updated on Wednesdays

Weekly Petroleum Status Report from EIA
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/weekly_petroleum_status_report/wpsr.html

Updated after 1:00pm (Eastern time) on Wednesdays

Natural Gas Weekly Update from EIA

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp

Updated after 2:00 pm (Eastern time) on Thursdays