Westcoast Energy Inc. finalized on Wednesday its previouslyannounced acquisition of the remaining 50% of the Empire StatePipeline for approximately $75 million, increasing its stake in thenatural gas line to 100%. The company first announced it wasacquiring the remaining 50% interest from Coastal Corp. in Novemberof 2000 (see Daily GPI, Nov. 10, 2000). The 156-mile pipeline runsfrom the Canada/United States border near Niagara, through New YorkState to an interconnect near Syracuse, NY. The pipeline has arated capacity of 525 MMcf/d. “We are pleased to now have fullownership of this valuable link to our Union Gas system, our Dawnhub and markets in Upper New York State and the northeast U.S.,”said Michael Phelps, CEO of Westcoast.

Calpine announced plans to build a 1,000 MW gas-fired powerfacility in Deer Park, TX to supply steam to Shell Chemical andelectric power on the wholesale market. “The Deer Park EnergyCenter significantly strengthens Calpine’s position as the largestindependent power producer in Texas,” said Calpine’s Director ofBusiness Development Peter Hansen. “It also exemplifies Calpine’sability to meet the stringent thermal energy requirements of aleading industrial consumer, like Shell Chemical, while providing aclean, reliable source of electricity for the growing Texas powermarket.” Construction for the Deer Park Energy Center is expectedto begin in July 2001, with the first phase of the projectoperational by January 2003 and the second, larger phaseoperational by June 2004. As proposed, the facility will utilizefour 185 MW Siemens Westinghouse gas turbines, four Nooter-Ericksenheat recovery steam generators, and one 260 MW steam turbinegenerator.

©Copyright 2001 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. Thepreceding news report may not be republished or redistributed, inwhole or in part, in any form, without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.