Calif. cities to get refunds from power generators

California cities and investor-owned utilities should get refunds on electricity costs now that an appeals court has determined that power generators unfairly backdated increases from 2006 to 2007.

In 2005, a group of wholesale electricity generators filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission arguing that they were undercompensated for some services.

Six cities including Anaheim, Azusa, Banning, Colton, Pasadena and Riverside contested a later decision allowing the new rates to be put into effect on June 1, 2006, arguing that backdating the increase was not permitted.

Bonnie S. Blair, an attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented the municipalities before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, says her clients together will get several hundred thousands of dollars. She says other cities and utilities should also get refunds.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/02/27/financial/f143753S66.DTL&type=business