Why are future power prices falling as of May & June 2001?
A16: A combination of events: a) aluminum and other major users have reduced consumption or curtailed operations, freeing up major blocks of power; b) some big power plant repairs are done giving more power to the grid; c) President Bush refused to interfere with the power market so that capital investment brought some additional generation on-line; and d) some industrial users shut down permanently such as G-P’s pulp mill in Bellingham freeing up 30 MW-hrs of consumption for example. Also in June 2001 Masonite in Ukiah, California shut down permanently a large plant.
