The state has not been paying for the ISO purchases, and the utilities will be billed. Nelson said power bills customarily come due about two months after the power is delivered. The bill that Assembly Republicans blocked contains a provision that is needed to allow the PUC to carry out the governor's plan to begin paying the small generators. Small generators that produce about 3,000 megawatts were off-line earlier this week, which contributed to rolling blackouts Monday and Tuesday. The bill is opposed by small generators who use gas turbines because their payments would no longer be based on the price of natural gas, which has soared.
Negotiators hope to solve that problem during the weekend.
But passage of the three bills will be linked.