1999

The heady days of natural gas trading in Houston, circa 1999-2000, were recalled Tuesday in opening statements by attorneys arguing the case against two former physical gas traders charged with reporting bogus trades to industry publications in an attempt to manipulate the market.

Competitive wholesale power markets in the eastern U.S. and Canada produced at least $15.1 billion in customer savings during 1999-2003 and resulted in dramatically improved power plant efficiencies nationwide, according to a study released last Tuesday by Global Energy Decisions Inc.

With natural gas price spikes finally seeming to ease after asix-month-long roller coaster ride, U.S. electricity generatorshave taken the experience as a warning, but vow to stick withnatural gas as their go-to plant-firing source.

Calling 2000 a watershed year for the natural gas market issomewhat akin to saying 1776 was an important time in U.S. history.With only a couple of exceptions, last year began with all spotprice indexes between $2 and $3. It ended with January 2001 indexesranging from $8.56 (Questar) to $18.81 (Transco Zone 6-NYC).

After selling more than 27.4 million MWh in the second quarter— an increase of 93% over second quarter 1999 — Baltimore-basedConstellation Power Source says it is on track to realize itsvision of becoming a first-class national merchant energy company,standing in eighth place for wholesale electric power marketersbased on sales volume. It was in 57th place just three years ago.

Unprecedented growth of nearly 339% last year in the gas andsteam turbine market was fueled by the rise in combined cycleconfigurations, a manufacturing method that has dramaticallyincreased efficiency in electricity production and becomeincreasingly popular with power plant producers, according to a newresearch report by Frost & Sullivan.

Unprecedented growth of nearly 339% last year in the gas andsteam turbine market was fueled by the rise in combined cycleconfigurations, a manufacturing method that has dramaticallyincreased efficiency in electricity production and becomeincreasingly popular with power plant producers, according to a newresearch report by Frost & Sullivan.

Northern Border Pipeline has downgraded its Project 2000extension into Indiana for a second time, but this time its goal isto comply with the “no subsidy” requirement of FERC’s new policystatement on new pipeline construction..

The Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB) will facilitate ameeting to be held at the Department of Energy (DOE) Jan. 26 on theneed for an organization to develop retail standards for the gasand electric industries. The meeting, to be held at DOE’s ForrestalBuilding, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, will begin at 8:30 a.m.Robert W. Gee, assistant secretary for fossil energy, will open themeeting. Representatives of companies and trade associations in thegas and electric industries, as well as interested individuals, areinvited.