Utility’s Excess Capacity Decried

CHICAGO — Commonwealth Edison, the nation’s largest supplier of electricity from nuclear power, has spent more money generating unneeded power than any other utility in the nation, costing consumers an extra $1 billion in 1985, a study released Tuesday claims.

A Commonwealth Edison spokesman called the study the work of a “cabal” and said it was misleading because it measured electricity use in a year that had the 10th-coolest summer since the mid-1800s.

The study by the Washington-based Environmental Action Foundation found that 92 of 110 investor-owned utilities had excess electricity margins last year of more than the 20% industry norm.

The 110 utilities generated an average of $630 million in unneeded electricity capacity, the study said.

“Current excess capacity is largely the result of past utility errors overforecasting demand growth,” said Alan Nogee, a utility analyst for the foundation.

Nogee’s report says Edison had 21,623 megawatts available and used only 13,255 during its September peak, leaving 8,368 megawatts unused, for a 63% power margin at the time of maximum use.

Utility spokesman John Hogan disputed those figures, saying that the company had a total generating capacity of 19,296 megawatts from its nine nuclear plants and other sources in 1985 and that the excess power margin was 31%.