United States Ninth Circuit

A petition for review challenging the statutory validity of electric power rates in certain wholesale power contracts are granted where, applying the related case decided today, Public Utility District No. 1 v. FERC, Nos. 03-72511, et al. (PUD), a remand was necessary to determine: 1) whether Mobile-Sierra review of the challenged contracts was appropriate; 2) if so, to apply the modified form of Mobile-Sierra review outlined in PUD; and 3) if not, to apply full just and reasonable review to the challenged contracts.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/08/2004
• Decided 12/19/2006
• Published 12/19/2006

Judges

• BERZON, Circuit Judge., Before BROWNING, PREGERSON, and BERZON, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• William J. Kayatta, Jr. (argued), Arocles Aguilar, Sean Gallagher, Jonathan Bromson, Public Utilities Commission of the State of California, San Francisco, CA;  William J. Kayatta, Jr., Jared S. des Rosiers, Louise K. Thomas, Deborah L. Shaw, Christopher T. Roach, Pierce Atwood, Portland, ME;  Erik N. Saltmarsh, Erin Koch-Goodman, California Electric Oversight Board, Sacramento, CA (on the brief), for the petitioners., Roger A. Berliner, Stephen M. Ryan, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Washington, D.C.;  C. Stanley Hunterton, Hunterton & Associates, Las Vegas, NV, on the joint brief, for intervenors Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County, Washington, Nevada Power Company, Sierra Pacific Power Company, and Southern California Water Company., Julie Simon, Electric Power Supply Association, Washington, D.C.;   Andrew B. Brown, Ellison, Schneider & Harris, LLP, Sacramento, CA, on the amici curiae brief, for the Independent Energy Producers Association, Electric Power Supply Association, and Western Power Trading Forum., Marcus Wood, Jennifer E. Horan, Stoel Rives, LLP Portland, OR, on the brief of intervenor PPM Energy, Inc.


• For Appellees:
  
• Dennis Lane (argued), Cynthia A. Marlette, Dennis Lane, Lona T. Perry, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. (on the brief), for the respondent., Richard P. Bress (argued), John N. Estes III, W. Mason Emnett, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, New York, N.Y.;  Jeffrey D. Watkiss, Bracewell & Patterson, Washington, D.C.;  Richard P. Bress, Michael J. Gergen, David G. Tewksbury, Latham & Watkins, LLP, Washington, D.C. (on the brief), for the intervenors-respondents.