FERC Must Turn Over Power Plant Papers

AES Corp. and Williams Cos. documents about power plants that shut down during the California energy crisis must be given to California state investigators by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a federal judge said.

State Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer has been investigating the causes of California’s energy crisis in 2000 and 2001. His office sued FERC in January to get information about why two AES plants didn’t produce electricity in April and May 2000. The investigation is looking at whether plants were shut down as part of a scheme to inflate energy prices.

Mark Woodruff, president of AES Pacific, a unit of AES, said the company denies any wrongdoing. Kelly Swan, a spokesman for Williams, could not be reached.