The new energy merchant kid on the block Eagle Energy Partners last week announced an exclusive agreement to provide power scheduling and asset management and optimization services for Cobb Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) of Marietta, GA, and seven other electric cooperatives in the state. The agreement is effective on Tuesday (July 15).

Eagle Energy, based in Houston and chaired by former Dynegy Inc. CEO Chuck Watson, received permission in June from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to sell natural gas and power capacity, energy and ancillary services at market-based rates (see NGI, July 7). The company’s president and CEO also are former Dynegy marketing executives.

“This contract is a lynch-pin transaction for our power marketing business,” said Cliff Hare, Eagle’s president. “We have an experienced power marketing staff and a 24-hour operation that provides an ideal platform for assisting Cobb EMC and the seven co-ops involved in the agreement in managing their systems and maximizing the value of their assets.”

Cobb is the second largest EMC in the country and the largest in Georgia. Together, Cobb EMC and the seven other co-ops — including Central George EMC, Diverse Power, Excelsior EMC, Pataula EMC, Snapping Shoals EMC, Upson EMC and Washington EMC — serve approximately 314,000 members with nearly 2,000 MW of peak power demand.

The distribution cooperatives have direct access to the wholesale power supply market through a restructuring process that began in 1997. The power scheduling and asset management agreement with Eagle will allow the EMCs to aggressively pursue low-cost and reliable power supply.

“With the assistance of its Atlanta-based consultant, Energy Consulting Group LLC, these eight EMCs have achieved recognition as one of the most progressive electric cooperative groups in the U.S.,” said Griff Jones, Eagle’s CEO. “We look forward to helping them serve their customers even more efficiently and cost-effectively.”

Referring to his relationship with Dynegy, which is now exiting the energy merchant business, Dwight Brown, CEO of Cobb EMC, said, “We have enjoyed a very positive relationship with Eagle’s principals for many years and believe they have assembled a great team that will add significant value to the optimization of our collective assets.”

In addition to its 24-hour power marketing operation, Eagle Energy will offer asset-management services for electric cooperatives, municipals and independent power producers and also manage natural gas supply procurement, transportation and marketing logistics for its customers in the gas business.

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