How difficult issues are resolved in Illinois..........
---------------------- Forwarded by Richard Shapiro/NA/Enron on 11/30/2000
08:06 AM ---------------------------
From: Susan M Landwehr on 11/29/2000 10:08 PM
To: James D Steffes/NA/Enron@Enron, Harry Kingerski/NA/Enron@Enron, Richard
Shapiro/NA/Enron@Enron
cc:

Subject:

Rick/Harry/Jim--- it's a tie this year for who is the worst player in the
energy business---I can't decide which is more appalling--- Commissioner
Ruth Kretschmer's blatant grab for her legacy or Commonwealth Edison's sleazy
tactics.

You'll recall that Com Ed has been trying to get accelerated collection of
the decommissioning costs ($120 mil per year for 6 years) despite the fact
tht they're planning on transferring their nuclear plants to an unregulated
Genco. The battle has been ongoing at the ICC, and the customers and CUB and
other intervenors have been successful in getting the hearing examiner to
state that Com Ed should not be able to collect any dollars if they transfer
the assets. Our hope was that the ICC would actually agree with the hearing
examiner and deny the request, and that Com Ed would have to go to the
legislature to get language that would allow them to collect. The ICC has
not ruled yet. Anticipating that COm Ed would simultaneously work the
legislative side,we have been working at the statehouse for about a month to
sow the seeds to make sure that we could block them enough to get a trade
such as a year or two of CTC early roll off. The legislature is in veto
session right now, and Com Ed has not been able to get enough backing to move
a bill.

So....low and behold, a fax comes across this evening and it's a letter to
the ICC from Com Ed offering to donate 2 of it's nuclear station sites to the
citizens of Illinois to use as public parks after the sites are
decommissioned if they are given the full $120 mil/6 year collection. And
gee, do you think that maybe one of the parks would be named after the woman
who brought it to the people!!??

There has been a rumor for about a year that Ruth had been angling with John
Rowe to have one of the nuclear sites donated in her name, and she started
ruminating in public and in semi public meetings about 6 weeks ago about the
general concept.

Part of me wishes that we didn't have any business interests that need
protecting in Illinois, as I really would like to give a quote to Crains or
the Tribune tomorrow slamming Kretschmer and Com Ed. Isn't this just the
height of arrongance and corruption??!!

I'll be sending out a general info e mail tomorrow on this development to the
Project Lincoln team and of course Roy that is a bit more sanitized, but
wanted you guys to know the real scoop (plus I think I just wanted to vent!)