http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B9C7896A8-802D-409C-B020-AF9E8224629A%7D&siteid=mktw - "Other traders -- local and out-of-state -- were not necessarily playing more by state trading rules, but they managed their business better," said California Public Utilities Commission commissioner Geoffrey Brown. The only lesson learned from the demise of one of the biggest energy market players in history is that "there is a God," said Brown.
http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.enron.1129w - "It's a perception issue. Enron's struggle may have adverse consequences on retail choice, even though it has very little to do with it," said Sharon Reishus, an associate director of North American power at Cambridge Research Associates, a research firm in Cambridge, Mass. "This puts us more into the muddle of whether deregulation is good or not." In Texas, which is set to start deregulation Jan. 1, a spokesman for the Public Utility Commission said the agency is watching the situation.
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The company has donated $3.5 million during the past several years, and in 1998, donated $1 million to create an energy finance program at the business school that has graduated 120 masters in business administration students. "It's a very sad day for the university," said J.B. Bird, a spokesman for the business school. But "in the same breath. . . we are really lucky that they fulfilled all their pledges to us."
http://www.austin360.com/statesman/editions/thursday/business_1.html - Enron, whose directors include Lord Wakeham, the former UK Energy Secretary, led the deregulation of energy markets around the world and helped convince President Bush to reject the recent Kyoto global warming accord. Lord Wakeham was paid an annual service fee of $50,000 by Enron last year and another $10,000 for chairing a committee. The energy company is thought to have asked for $1.5 billion of emergency financing from Carlyle Group, the Washington investment firm headed in Europe by John Major, the former Prime Minister.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,5-2001552658,00.html - "The tragedy of Sept. 11 will serve as an unforgettable reminder to people all over the world of the strength and resilience of the human spirit," said Enron Chairman and CEO Ken Lay. "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of all the people whose lives were taken in this senseless and horrific attack. We are joining the efforts of numerous companies and organizations that stepped forward, and we hope to set an example for our employees."
Enron is also encouraging its 18,000 global employees to make personal donations up to $15,000, which Enron will match and double. Enron is holding blood drives and collections of supplies and children's books at its Houston headquarters. Enron's Washington D.C. office delivered greatly needed supplies to the Pentagon for rescue workers on Thursday.
http://www.corphilanthropy.org/cecpdocs/uniteddocs/chairmansmessage.html
- For several weeks, as the stock lost much of its value, workers stood by helplessly as their retirement savings evaporated. They were not allowed to switch investments at all ó even though the plan had far less risky choices.
The unfortunate timing caps a year of pain for Enron's workers. At the end of last year, the 401(k) plan had $2.1 billion in assets. More than half was invested in Enron, an energy conglomerate. Since then, the stock has lost 94 percent of its value.
At Portland General Electric, the Oregon utility acquired by Enron four years ago, some workers nearing retirement have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The utility has lined up grief counselors to help them work through their problems.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/22/business/22RETI.html?searchpv=past7days - Over the last decade or so, Mr. Lay earned some $300 million from Enron, mostly by exercising stock options. Earlier this month, when employees grew incensed at the prospect of his collecting a big severance package with the company's sale to Dynegy, he volunteered to walk away from $60 million in payments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/29/business/29LAY.html?pagewanted=2