A bankruptcy judge will rule next week if Energy Future Holdings Corp., a bankrupt Texas power company, can conduct an auction for its power distribution business, which is likely worth billions of dollars, Reuters reported yesterday. "I believe the record is sufficiently dense and the issues sufficiently important that I need some time to digest that and make a reasoned ruling," said Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Sontchi. His comments concluded four days of testimony and arguments on the company's request to start an unusual auction process. The judge said he will read his decision from the bench on Nov. 3. The company framed the proposed process as an opportunity to maximize the value of its 80 percent indirect stake in Oncor, a non-bankrupt affiliate that operates the largest network of power lines in Texas.
