![](media/image1.jpeg){width="8.5in" height="3.5027777777777778in"}U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

**Office of Electricity and\
Energy Assurance**

**ENERGY ASSURANCE DAILY**

**March 17, 2005**

#### Highlights / Major Developments

### Gasoline and Hits New Record Highs

NYMEX gasoline futures rose to a record high of \$1.58/gallon after EIA
announced a larger than expected drawdown of stocks. Retail prices hit a
record average of \$2.055/gallon according to AAA.

Reuters, 0850 and 1316 March 17, 2005

### NYMEX Crude Oil Ends Down After Hitting Record High at \$57.60

Reuters, 1550 March 17, 2005

**Electricity**

Thousands Lose Power in Los Angeles

76,000 customers in Los Angeles area lost power on Wednesday in the
downtown areas of Los Angeles and Glendale. According to authorities,
the power failure began at approximately 8 o'clock Wednesday morning and
affected some 60,000 customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power and 16,000 customers in Glendale.

Both Glendale and the LA DWP reported that service had been restored by
about 9:30.

Source: NBC4 TV, March 16, 2005

<http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4290504/detail.html>

New Projects to Boost Canada\'s Wind Power Capacity Nearly 25 Percent

Two new wind projects were announced on Wednesday that will add 108 MW
of generating capacity to Canada's electricity grid. According to the
announcement made by Jacques Saada, Minister of the Economic Development
Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec the projects will be
developed in Murdochville, Quebec

<http://www.energycentral.com/centers/news/daily/article.cfm?aid=5540924>

### TXU's 565 MW Coal-fired Monticello Unit 1 in TX Reduces Power

TXU's Monticello 1 reduced power on March 16 and 17 to repair a fan.

Reuters, 0747 March 17, 2005

**Four Corners Unit 5 Powers Back Up**

The 740 MW unit 5 at the Four Corners coal-fired power station in New
Mexico ramped back on line on March 17. It was shut early Wednesday.

Reuters 1404, March 17, 2005.

### AES's 485 MW Gas-fired Alamitos Unit 5 in CA Shut March 17

### Reuters, 1404 March 17, 2005

### AES's 495 MW Gas-fired Alamitos Unit 6 in CA Shut March 17

### Reuters, 1404 March 17, 2005

### AES's 226 MW Gas-fired Huntington Beach Unit 1 in CA Shut March 17

### Reuters, 1404 March 17, 2005

### DTE's 235 MW Gas-fired La Paloma Unit 4 in CA Shut March 17

Reuters, 1404 March 17, 2005

### APS's 740 MW Coal-fired Four Corners Unit 4 in NM Shut March 17

Reuters, 1404 March 17, 2005

**Petroleum**

Also see stories in Highlights.

OPEC Could Consider Another Output Increase As Early as Next Week

On Thursday, only one day after OPEC announced an increase in the crude
production ceiling of 500,000 b/d, as oil prices in New York and London
climbed to new all-time highs, OPEC President Sheikh Ahmed Fahed
al-Sabah said that if crude oil prices remain at current levels he will
begin talks next week on adding another 500,000 b/d to the output
ceiling.

Sources: Reuters 10:06, March 17, 2005, Platts March 17, 2005.

<http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050317/markets_oil_9.html>

<http://www.platts.com/Oil/headlines.jsp>

**Natural Gas**

### U.S. Senator from RI Proposes State Role in Approving LNG Projects

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island introduced a bill Thursday to give states
a say in where LNG facilities are located. At present the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission says it has the sole authority to decide on these
new projects.

Reuters, 1522 March 17, 2005

**Other News**

Addicts Apprehended With Stolen Power Cable

Police arrested four people in a Portland area motel with some 600-800
pounds of stolen power cables. Detectives say the suspects took it from
a Portland General Electric (PGE) substation with the intention of
selling the cable as scrap and using the money to buy drugs. According
to PGE, the value of the copper in the cables has increased greatly
making the lines an attractive target, with some thieves even attempting
to steal live wires. Over the past year more than \$100,000 worth of
cable has been taken from PGE leading the utility to warn that if the
current trend continues, the losses may have to be made up for by the
customers.

Source: Koin News 6, Portland, Oregon, March 16, 2005.

[*http://www.koin.com/news.asp?RECORD_KEY%5Bnews%5D=ID&ID%5Bnews%5D=1692*](http://www.koin.com/news.asp?RECORD_KEY%5Bnews%5D=ID&ID%5Bnews%5D=1692)

**Energy Prices**

+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
|                               | **Latest  | **Week    | **Year     |
|                               | (03       | Ago**     | Ago**      |
|                               | /17/05)** |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
| **CRUDE OIL**                 | 56.40     | 53.60     | 38.21      |
|                               |           |           |            |
| **West Texas Intermediate     |           |           |            |
| US**                          |           |           |            |
|                               |           |           |            |
| \$/Barrel                     |           |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+
| **NATURAL GAS**               | 7.25      | 6.71      | 5.61       |
|                               |           |           |            |
| **Henry Hub**                 |           |           |            |
|                               |           |           |            |
| \$/Million Btu                |           |           |            |
+-------------------------------+-----------+-----------+------------+

> Source: Reuters

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

[*http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp*](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*](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*](http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp)

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

**ENSEC threat awareness blog site** from Energy Assurance

[*http://ensec.blogspot.com*](http://ensec.blogspot.com/)