The AES Corp., headquartered in Arlington, VA, has begunconstruction on a $340 million electric power plant and liquefiednatural gas importing facility in the Dominican Republic. The AESAndres plant will be located outside of Santo Domingo, and willconsist of a 300 MW gas-fired combined cycle plant and LNGimporting terminal. The plant, which will take about two years tobuild, will be powered by a 501F gas turbine from Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries. BP Amoco will supply LNG under a 20-year fuel supplyagreement, and Chicago Bridge & Iron will construct the LNGfacility. AES already has a substantial presence in the DominicanRepublic, owning 100% interest in a 210 MW simple cycle electricpower station and a 50% interest in an electric distributioncompany, EDE Este there. EDE serves more than two million customersin the eastern region.

Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp., headquartered in Houston, has anew organizational structure to focus on its four key businessareas: worldwide deepwater exploration and production,domestic/international exploration and production, businessservices and legal services. The new structure is expected toenhance the value of the company’s oil and gas assets, allowing itto capitalize on its exploration and production strengths, saidLuke R. Corbett, CEO. Kenneth W. Crouch, senior vice president ofoil and gas, will lead the four teams, made up of Dave Hager, vicepresident, worldwide deepwater exploration and production; JimKleckner, vice president, domestic/international exploration andproduction; Jeff Lund, vice president, exploration and productionbusiness services; and Bill Layton, vice president, exploration andproduction legal services.

Columbia Gas of Ohio estimates the monthly bill for its averageresidential customer using 10,000 cubic feet of gas will be about$101.00, or about $27 more than last winter. Columbia urgedcustomers to investigate ways they can reduce the impact of highernatural gas prices on their winter heating bills. Among thecompany’s suggestions: Consider enrolling in Columbia’s CustomerCHOICE(SM) program, which offers customers the potential forsavings through shopping for natural gas among a variety ofsuppliers. Participating customers have saved $75 million on theirgas costs since the program began in 1997. Consider joiningColumbia’s Budget Payment Plan program, which spreads winterheating costs over the entire year. Explore energy conservationmeasures. Columbia is the largest gas utility in the state, servingnearly 1.3 million customers.

PG&E Corp. announced that its National Energy Group willdevelop its first Nevada project, a 1,000 MW natural gas-firedgenerating plant to be located 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Themerchant plant’s main purpose is to supply Nevada, but when it isnot needed there, it will add much-needed supply to the westernenergy market. The group hopes to begin construction during thefourth quarter of 2001, with completion expected in early 2004.”Southern Nevada has one of the most rapidly growing economies inthe country,” said Thomas B. King, president of PG&E NEG, WestRegion. “Because of its location near Las Vegas, the Meadow Valleyproject will be ideally positioned to efficiently serve that demandgrowth.” Including the Nevada project, PG&E National EnergyGroup has a total of 4,000 MW in development or construction inCalifornia, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.

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