Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line has extended an open season for a proposed pipeline expansion and extension of its Muncie Lateral until June 11. The company is planning to add 500 MMcf/d of firm transportation capacity on the lateral in Ohio and will extend the line from Grant County, IN, to Cincinnati with 124 miles of 30-inch diameter pipe. The project is designed to carry more western and southwestern supplies eastward. It would increase access to gas supply from the Midcontinent, the Rockies, the Gulf Coast and from Trunkline LNG’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Lake Charles, LA for customers in the Midwest and along the East Coast. The project would provide additional transportation capacity to Dayton, Cincinnati and East Coast markets through connections at Lebanon, OH, to Texas Eastern Transmission, Columbia Gas Transmission and Dominion Transmission. It is planned to be in service by November 2006. Previously the open season was scheduled to end on May 14. Open Season documents can be obtained by calling either Jim Van Matre at (713) 989-7625 or Gregg Russell at (713) 989-7624.

While shareholders at Sempra Energy’s annual meeting won two non-binding proposals calling for annual election of all directors and shareholder votes on future poison pill measures, CEO Steve Baum, 63, told about 270 shareholders that the board had already rejected the ideas, but the level of support (more than 60% of voting shares) warranted the board reconsidering the matters. And as part of the program, Baum announced he planned to retire “early in 2006,” in response to questions about the current push for the CEO and Chairman roles in publicly held companies being separated. Baum, who is CEO, chairman and president, said his contract was up the end of next year, and that it would be up to the board to determine how he is replaced, but the separation of the positions definitely will be considered. There was no discussion whether outside candidates would be considered.

Retiring Southwest Gas Corp. CEO Michael Maffie, introduced the company’s new CEO, president and four other new executives at the company’s annual meeting last week. Jeffery Shaw will be the new CEO and James Kane comes on as president. Four other new executives: Thomas Armstrong, senior vice president for gas resources/energy services; Edward Janov, senior vice president, finance; Christina Palacios, senior vice president, southern Arizona division; and William Moody, vice president, gas resources, were introduced. All the executives have been with the company for 15 to 25 years.

Puget Energy’s CEO Steve Reynolds explained to an annual stockholders’ meeting why the company’s utility, Puget Sound Energy, filed last month for rate increases of 5.7% for electricity and 6.3% for natural gas, noting the regulatory process could take 11 months, and separately, the company is seeking an $80 million rate hike to pay for a minority portion of the Canadian-owned natural gas-fired Frederickson power plant near Tacoma, WA.

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