Williams Volunteers To Provide FERC Gas Trading Data For Independent Review
TULSA, Okla. -(Dow Jones)- Williams Cos. (WMB) said it will voluntarily provide gas trading data for December 2000 and January 2001 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review.
Last month, FERC ordered 150 energy companies to provide information about whether they used tactics similar to those outlined in memos written by attorneys working for Enron, tactics which California politicians claim helped drive up power prices during the 2000-2001 crisis period.
"Williams has not manipulated the Western market and we're asking FERC to conduct an independent review of our records to satisfy any questions they may have concerning these allegations," Williams said in a press release Wednesday.
The energy company said it neither had a strategy, nor did it act in such a way to corner the market in California as alleged by a former employee.
On Tuesday, FERC issued a notice to Williams, Avista Corp. (AVA), Enron Corp.'s (ENRNQ) Portland General Electric unit and El Paso Electric Co. (EE), directing the companies to file responses explaining why the companies should retain their right to sell at market-based rates.
The commission proposed the steep penalty after finding the companies' earlier responses were inadequate to FERC's investigation of possible energy-market manipulation in California and in neighboring states.
Shares of Williams traded recently at $9.56, down $1.46, or 13.3%, on New York Stock Exchange volume of 3.8 million shares. Average daily volume is 4.3 million shares.