Power Move

In a strong policy and political play, Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed papers charging federal regulators with abuse of authority with respect to the pending power auction.

From Crain's:

(AP) — The Illinois Attorney General says federal regulators violated their own administrative rules when they met with officials from ComEd and parent company Exelon Corp. last year before approving the utility's controversial power auction proposal.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office on Monday filed documents with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requesting the agency review its Dec. 15 decision to allow ComEd to buy power from Exelon.

State lawyers say FERC commissioners violated federal administrative rules by meeting several times privately with executives from ComEd and its parent company, Chicago-based Exelon, before making their decision.

"Exelon and ComEd have not been playing by the rules, and we have taken action today to make sure that they don't benefit from their misconduct at consumers' expense," Madigan said Monday.

However it plays out, this is a confident move that will keep the pressure on this whole issue. It also has the potential to gain some big legs if it grows into a story about relationships between the energy lobby and federal government officials. Should be interesting.

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