BC Gas Inc. and Invensys Energy Metering, a gas metering andservices company, announced the formation of a new meter managementjoint venture yesterday called Measurement Solutions International.The companies said MSI is positioned to manage the metering assetsand services of gas, electric and water utilities that are lookingto strengthen or divest the measurement functions embedded in theirsystems as they refine their core competencies at a time ofderegulation, growing competition and converging utility deliverysystems. MSI’s goal is to afford utilities efficiencies inmeasurement management by spreading the costs of equipment,maintenance, services and logistics over a larger user-base. Formulti-utilities, MSI offers single-source management of gas,electric and water measurement needs. MSI said it also brings theresources necessary for utilities to apply new technologies toenhance their operations. MSI can also assist utility clients indealing with state regulatory commissions on issues associated withmeasurement practices, standards and statistical samplingtechniques.

Williams Gas Pipeline Central put its 20-inch Wichita-Ottawapipeline up for sale yesterday. In the RFP issued on Williams’electronic bulletin board, the company said it will be taking bidsuntil 4 p.m. (CST) on Jan. 26. The line runs 64 miles from near ElDorado, KN to Neosho Rapids, KN. Williams will provide allinterested parties with a bid package containing a proposal formand reclaim drawings as well as information on erosion control,revegitiation and maintenance. Ancillary equipment connected to thepipeline will be included in the sale. For more information, callMark Nealis at (918) 573-3869.

Florida Power & Light has received approval to “repower” its933 MW Sanford plant by replacing two 1970-vintage, oil-firedgenerating units the site with state-of-the-art, combined-cycle gasunits. The $600 million repowering will double the site’selectrical output and is part of a larger plan to refurbish a largeportion of its generation infrastructure with more efficientgas-fired units over the next decade. The FPL Sanford plant islocated a short distance northeast of Orlando in DeBary, FL. Theplant has operated at this location since 1927. Repowering theexisting site avoids using new land to build a new plant, and theadditional efficiencies of the new technology can help keepelectricity rates low. The Sanford plant is the second of fourmajor projects slated to expand FPL’s generating capability by morethan 20% over the next 10 years to meet customer growth in CentralFlorida and elsewhere. The repowered Sanford units will begingenerating electricity in 2002 and are expected to be fullyoperational by January 2003. FPL’s other repowering projectcurrently underway will convert a Fort Myers plant tocombined-cycle natural gas by mid- 2002. Florida Power & Lightserves more than seven million people in Florida.

Western Kentucky Gas was granted a rate increase, scaled backfrom what it originally sought, by the Kentucky Public ServiceCommission. The rate increase will average 8.24% for all WesternKentucky Gas customers. Residential rates are to rise by 9.1%;commercial rates are to rise 6.9%.; and industrial rates are torise by 5.4%.. The increase is the same one the utility and theKentucky attorney general’s office agreed to earlier this month.That agreement cut the company’s original request by 30%. Theoriginal request would have averaged 11.7% per customer across theboard.

Public Service Company of Colorado was prevented from cuttingthe bills of high-consumption residential customers and raising thebills of lower consumption residential customers by the ColoradoPublic Utilities Commission. The utility had sought the change torecover investments in pipelines and other equipment. The PUCcalled for a suspension of the rates and public hearings before afinal decision is made. Residential customers pay a fixed chargefor metering and billing costs. That charge currently is $7.41 permonth. The proposed new charge would be $16.49 per month for morethan 97% of residential customers. State consumer watchdog agencyColorado Office of Consumer Counsel is reviewing the impact the newrate structure would have on consumers.

The U.S. Department of Energy has extended the deadline forproducers to file for emergency loans under the Emergency Oil andGas Guaranteed Loan Program until Jan. 31. The deadline was to havebeen this Thursday. The program is intended to help companies lowertheir debt service and improve access to capital. Giving themcapital to produce proved undeveloped reserves generates cash flowto pay debt.

CarrAmerica Realty Corp. and DukeSolutions signed a five-year,$150 million agreement for energy management services. Duke Energysubsidiary DukeSolutions will serve CarrAmerica and affiliate CarrReal Estate Services’ 326 owned and/or managed U.S. officeproperties across. The deal is believed by the companies to be themost comprehensive energy alliance in the commercial real estateindustry. Average gross savings, to be shared between CarrAmerica,DukeSolutions and CarrAmerica tenant customers, are expected toreach 20% of CarrAmerica’s current annual energy costs.

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