Added

Dynegy added a fourth regional marketing alliance and gainedentry into Georgia’s deregulated gas market by partnering with AGLResources and Piedmont Natural Gas. The three equal partners – whatDynegy CEO Chuck Watson calls a “dream team” – formed SouthStarEnergy Services LLC to offer unregulated energy products andservices to industrial, commercial and residential customers in theSoutheast. Offerings will include gas, electricity, fuel oil andpropane, along with related retail services. The Atlanta-basedcompany will have offices in Charlotte, NC, and Nashville, TN.

Retail energy service providers and marketers now have an addedpotential way to reach into California’s mass market residentialand small business customers by buying part of the utility billingenvelope space. Under new state regulatory rules, investor-ownedenergy utilities (IOUs) are opening access to their ubiquitousbills that are mailed regularly to millions of customers.

A new step was added Thursday to the elaborate tango of WesternResources and Kansas City Power & Light as the companiescontinue their attempt at a union. Western and Kansas City Power& Light (KCPL) restructured their merger agreement, forming anew electric company. The new company-to be named WestarEnergy-will be headquartered in Kansas City, MO, and traded on theNew York Stock Exchange. The announcement met with early approvalfrom at least one analyst.