Spotlight: Utility Plan Wins Initial U.S. Approval

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave preliminary approval to a plan by the state’s three publicly traded utilities--Pacific Gas & Electric Co. of San Francisco, Edison International of Rosemead and Enova Corp. of San Diego--to restructure their operations to prepare for deregulation. California’s electricity market is to open to competition by 1998. Regulators approved the utilities’ plan for an independent system operator to manage and administer transmission lines.