Battle

Only two-years after winning its hard-fought battle to acquire Portland General Electric, Enron Corp. President Jeffrey K. Skilling last week said the company is considering “alternatives” for the electric utility.

NiSource suffered two significant setbacks last week in itsbattle for a $5.7 billion hostile takeover of Columbia EnergyGroup, but the company vowed to continue its pursuit of Columbia.

The battle between Coastal Corp.’s ANR Pipeline and supportersof the proposed Guardian Pipeline over the lucrative Wisconsin andnorthern Illinois markets intensified last week, as each sidepresented its case through displays of public support. Yet, despitethe bickering and ANR’s attempts to keep Guardian from being built,the pipeline project is expected to be filed with FERC as soon asnext month.

Southwest Gas threw the latest stone in the battle surroundingits proposed merger with Oneok Inc. earlier this week, refusing togo along with a request from Carl Kunasek, the Arizona CorporationCommission (ACC) chairman, to allow rival suitor Southern Union(SU) to intervene in the ACC proceedings involving the merger.

The bloody battle over the right to merge with Southwest GasCorp. has recently claimed another victim: Arizona CorporationCommissioner (ACC) Jim Irvin. Federal and state authorities areinvestigating allegations that the state regulator illegallyinfluenced Southwest Gas to go with Oneok Inc. as a merger partnerinstead of rival suitor Southern Union Co.

The bloody battle over the right to merge with Southwest GasCorp. has recently claimed another victim: Arizona CorporationCommissioner (ACC) Jim Irvin. Federal and state authorities areinvestigating allegations that the state regulator illegallyinfluenced Southwest Gas to go with Oneok Inc. as a merger partnerinstead of rival suitor Southern Union Co.

Oneok Inc. of Tulsa, OK, last week filed to hold Southern Union in contempt for violating an injunction preventing it from attempting to influence a shareholder vote on the merger of Oneok and Southwest Gas Corp.

Oneok Inc. of Tulsa, OK, filed to hold Southern Union incontempt for violating a federal preliminary injunction preventingit from attempting to influence a shareholder vote on the merger ofOneok and Southwest Gas Corp.

Columbia Energy Group won a small victory last week when the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware denied NiSource’s motion for expedited discovery in its federal case against Columbia. Meanwhile, NiSource raised legal pressure with yet another suit filed in the state Chancery Court in Delaware. By increasing the legal pressure while pushing its $68/share tender offer to Columbia shareholders, NiSource believes it can force Columbia officials to the negotiating table.