Austin

When former Enron de Mexico President Max Yzaguirre was appointed to chair the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) last June, critics charged that his affiliation with his former employer would cause a conflict of interest. Now that Enron Corp. has declared bankruptcy, Yzaguirre’s appointment has come under even more fire, with Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office in the middle of another controversy.

When former Enron de Mexico President Max Yzaguirre was appointed to chair the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) last June (see Daily GPI, June 15, 2001), critics charged that his affiliation with his former employer would cause a conflict of interest. Now that Enron Corp. has declared bankruptcy, Yzaguirre’s appointment has come under even more fire, with Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office in the middle of another controversy.

Austin-based Southern Union Co. has named David W. Stevens as executive vice-president of utility operations and Dennis K. Morgan as executive vice-president of administration. The company said Stevens will be responsible for overseeing the company’s natural gas operating divisions: Southern Union Gas, Missouri Gas Energy, Atlantic Utilities, PG Energy, and New England. In addition, Stevens will oversee the customer service, engineering and gas supply departments. Stevens is currently the president of Southern Union Gas. Morgan will be responsible for overseeing a broad range of corporate administrative functions, including legal, human resources, risk, environmental matters, and corporate communications. Southern Union is an international energy distribution company serving nearly 1.6 million customers in Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida and Mexico.

Austin, TX-based Green Mountain Energy has received aninvestment of $53.5 million to fund its growth in marketing cleanerenergy sources in deregulated markets in the United States. Oddlyenough, the investment will come overseas from Nuon, the largestutility in the Netherlands and a leading provider of green energyin Europe.

Austin, TX-based Green Mountain Energy has received aninvestment of $53.5 million to fund its growth in marketing cleanerenergy sources in deregulated markets in the United States. Oddlyenough, the investment will come overseas from Nuon, the largestutility in the Netherlands and a leading provider of green energyin Europe.

For the most part, the annual State of the Oil and Gas Industrymeeting of the Texas Railroad Commission in Austin yesterday was alove fest, as producers, operators, association representatives andvarious others lauded the good times and high profits the industryis having.

Blocked in its bid for neighboring Southwest Gas, Austin,TX-based Southern Union Co. focused on the East, picking upapproval from its board of directors and that of the Fall River GasCo., on a merger agreement.

Walt Rosenbusch, a native of Austin, TX, has been appointeddirector of the Minerals Management Service, succeeding CynthiaQuarterman who resigned in February. Rosenbusch takes office May17. Since July, 1996 he has worked as a senior tax manager forErnst & Young’s Houston Energy Service Team. Prior to thatRosenbusch was with the U.S. Dept. of Interior in the land andminerals management area, working to resolve royalty issuesinvolving on- and offshore leasing. He had worked in the TexasGeneral Land Office where he was responsible for the management andadministration of 13.5 million mineral acres.

Oneok increased its offer to acquire Southwest Gas by $1.50Monday, winning the Southwest Gas board of directors’ approval anddefeating an unsolicited bid from Austin, TX-based Southern UnionCo. The new monetary total of the merger is $1.8 billion or$30/share of common Southwest Gas stock. Southern Union had acompeting, unsolicited bid for Southwest of $32/share on the table,but Southwest had reservations concerning Southern Union’stimetable for the deal’s completion.