Atlanta

Piedmont Natural Gas Co. of Charlotte, NC; AGL Resources ofAtlanta; Atmos Energy Corp. of Dallas; and Teco Energy of Tampa,FL; are forming a joint venture to combine their propaneoperations.

Southern Company opened its new energy trading floor in Atlantayesterday, establishing the electronic nerve center of thecompany’s growing body of North American assets.

The effects of deregulation are still being felt by AGLResources, the parent of the now-totally unbundled Atlanta GasLight, as 151 employees, or 7% of the workforce, has been cut sinceAugust, the company said recently. No more layoffs are expected,although the company did say it is always looking for ways toimprove efficiency.

Sonat issued an OFO Type 3, effective today until furthernotice, for four segments: Atlanta Group, South Main Zone 3, Eastof Wrens Group and Savannah Line.

With Peachtree’s 170,000 customers hanging in the balance, anAtlanta, GA, bankruptcy court deferred a ruling on the strugglingmarketer’s attempted customer sale until today. According tosources close to the situation, the delay was caused by ScanaEnergy Marketing, which asked for more time so that it could file abid for Peachtree’s customers.

The maelstrom in Atlanta Gas Light’s deregulated gas poolcontinued last week as regulators scrambled to find a replacementsupplier of last resort when the utility concluded it was unable tohandle the role. After an urgent 24-hour RFP, the state’s PublicService Commission (GPSC) selected Shell Energy Services to performthe function through April 1.

Peachtree Natural Gas, the bankrupt supplier to over 170,000customers in Georgia, and Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), Peachtree’sbiggest creditor, forged an interim solution in bankruptcy courtyesterday in which Peachtree will continue serving its customersuntil the court reconvenes on Nov. 15. Both the LDC and the courthave been assured that Peachtree can reliably provide service forthe 10-day period.

Friday represented the eye of the storm for Georgia’s gas industry,as Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), the state’s largest distributor, andPeachtree Natural Gas, the bankrupt supplier to 177,000 gas customers,brokered an interim solution to their problems at a federal bankruptcycourt hearing. The hearing was a result of an earlier AGL filing withthe court, seeking to distribute Peachtree’s customers to other, “morecreditworthy” suppliers (see Daily GPI, Oct29).

Friday represented the eye of the storm for Georgia’s gasindustry, as Atlanta Gas Light (AGL), the state’s largestdistributor, and Peachtree Natural Gas, the bankrupt supplier to177,000 gas customers, brokered an interim solution to theirproblems at a federal bankruptcy court hearing. The hearing was aresult of an earlier AGL filing with the bankruptcy court, seekingto distribute Peachtree’s customers to other, “more creditworthy”suppliers.