-Caveat Lector- {{What is the big deal about the UK being an independent manager of this power grid? Well, nothing I suppose but remember the post about Germany purchasing the American Water Company? What is with foreign governments being placed in charge of our utilities? Is this normal, standard operating procedure? Anyone know? AKE}} UK's National Grid to run U.S. power alliance REUTERS LONDON, Aug. 28 - Britain's National Grid Group Plc said on Tuesday it had been appointed independent manager of a new electricity transmission company serving 11 U.S. states and a population two thirds the size of the entire UK market. NATIONAL GRID SAID it would invest $75 million in initial capital and draw an annual management fee of $14 million under its initial seven-year contract to run the new company, called the Alliance Regional Transmission Organization. The Alliance, created as part of deregulation of the U.S. electricity market, comprises the transmission systems of 10 companies covering Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The region covers about 41 million people and has peak load of roughly 108 gigawatts. National Grid said it would also be eligible to receive incentive-based earnings, subject to regulatory approval, by delivering customer savings and enhanced system reliability. Rick Sergel, Chief Executive of National Grid USA, told Reuters he hoped these earnings would match the $14 million management fee by around the middle of the seven-year contract. REGULATORY APPROVAL The Alliance, which aims to start operations on December 15, has already been "substantially approved" by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is an attempt to meet a regulatory push for large and efficient domestic electricity markets, National Grid said. But the commission has yet to confirm the Alliance's choice of National Grid as independent manager. The commission must be satisfied that National Grid is not a market participant in the area to be served by the Alliance, the first of its kind in the United States. National Grid USA already serves around 1.7 million customers in the northeast United States and agreed last year to buy New York -based utility Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc for $3 billion. The takeover, which Sergel said was on course to be completed by the end of the year, will create the ninth largest U.S. electricity utility with an electric customer base of 3.3 million in addition to 540,000 natural gas clients. But the company said it did not have a foothold in the 11 states to be covered by the Alliance. "We believe that we are independent," a National Grid spokesman said.70° <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om