ESPA urges STB to increase rail competition.
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Press Release Summary:
Electric Power Supply Association released comments submitted to Surface Transportation Board praising progress made in way of increasing transparency in surcharges, and urges STB to include competitive electricity suppliers on newly created Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee to address congestion and transmission rates. EPSA suggests that committee should include members from variety of segments and address all aspects of rail transportation and energy industry.
Original Press Release:
EPSA Urges STB To Include Competitive Suppliers On Rail Energy Transportation Advisory
Focus Should Be on "Relieving Congestion, Harmonizing Transportation Rates and Terms for Imported and Domestic Coal, Increasing Rail Competition and Varying the Supply Sources for Coal."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) today released comments submitted to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) praising the progress made thus far in the way of increasing transparency in surcharges, but also urging the STB to include competitive electricity suppliers on the newly created Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee to address congestion and transmission rates, as well as to help encourage greater rail competition.
"Coal transport is an important component of our energy future. The Energy Information Administration forecasts increasing use of coal to produce electricity - EIA predicts that coal will fuel 59.6 percent of electric generation by the year 2030," EPSA stated in its comments. "With increased use of rail capacity to ship biofuels and feedstock for biofuels, congestion and rail capacity will continue to be of great concern.
"We suggest that the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee should include members from a variety of different segments of the industry, including independent power producers, investor-owned utilities, public power entities, electric cooperatives, coal producers and the biofuels industry. This committee should address all aspects of rail transportation and the energy industry, including coal, biofuels, and the limestone necessary for scrubbers.
"We believe that the STB took an important step towards addressing the needs of rail customers by increasing transparency in fuel surcharges and basing fuel surcharges more closely on actual costs in STB Ex Parte No. 661. We urge you to build on this progress by including independent power producers on the new Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee to focus attention on relieving congestion, harmonizing transportation rates and terms for imported and domestic coal, increasing rail competition and varying the supply sources for coal. We look forward to participating on this committee and working with you to address these vital issues."
EPSA Urges STB to Include Competitive Suppliers on Rail Energy Transportation Advisory.PDF
EPSA Comments to STB.PDF
CONTACT: BILL HOLBROOK
(202) 349-0143
EPSA is the national trade association representing competitive power suppliers, including generators and marketers. These suppliers, who account for nearly 40 percent of the installed generating capacity in the United States, provide reliable and competitively priced electricity from environmentally responsible facilities serving global power markets. EPSA seeks to bring the benefits of competition to all power customers.
