Engage Energy Canada and EPCOR announced a gas/electricity alliance called Encore Energy Solutions, which will serve municipal utilities and large commercial and industrial customers with energy cost and price risk management.

Intended to be mainly a power operation and primarily focused on Canada, Encore was formed in direct response to the $250 billion electricity industry and continuing electricity deregulation efforts in Canada. “Given Alberta’s timetable for open competition in the electricity marketplace, this is the prime location to launch our alliance and its energy service portfolio,” said Paul McMillan, Encore general manager. “In addition, Encore will aggressively pursue customers in other deregulated regions, particularly in western and central Canada.”

EPCOR Utilities owns Edmonton Power, a power utility that provides generation and transmission services to Alberta and distribution services to 250,000 customers in Edmonton; Aqualta, a water treatment and distribution company; and Eltec, a commercial electrical services company. Engage is a joint venture of Coastal and Westcoast Energy.

Encore has offerings in three areas, portfolio management, power services, and trading. In its first year, Encore expects to handle half a million MWh on the trading side, said Clark Smith, Engage CEO. “And we think by the year 2000 we’ll be up to about 6 million MWh.

“A marquis joint venture with EPCOR firmly strengthens both companies’ electric position in Canada,” Smith said. “EPCOR and Engage’s progressive attitude toward the new competitive electricity market will provide Encore with a foundation to provide energy services.”

Joe Fisher, Houston

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