Changes

The Internet has spawned a revolution in the way business isdone that will not ignore the energy industry. In fact, the energyindustry is among the top businesses that will be impacted by theincreased use of the Internet for all types of transactions, saidSteven Bell, an analyst covering business trade and technologystrategies service for Forrester Research.

MCN Energy Group Inc. said yesterday it will take a year-end,one-time charge of $10 million for the first phase of its corporatereorganization, which should remove $15 million a year from itscurrent operating expenses. The realignment establishes a morestreamlined organizational structure to enhance efficiency, linesof authority and internal customer responsiveness. It includes areorganization of some upper management positions, including theretirement, effective next April, of its Vice Chairman and CFOWilliam K. McCrackin.

Bigtime volatility was the name of the game Friday in the cashmarket. Price changes ranged from more than 20 cents higher at manyLouisiana points to about a nickel lower in Northern California.Ranges often were huge also, exceeding 30 cents in some cases. Anypoint with a high and low separated by less than a dime-well, theyjust weren’t trying hard enough, one source commented.

The Board of Directors of KeySpan Energy appointed four newofficers. Frederick M. Lowther, 54, of Dickstein Shapiro Morin& Oshinsky has been named general counsel. Steven L. Zelkowitz,49, has been named senior vice president and deputy generalcounsel. Michael J. Taunton, 42, has been named vice president ofinvestor relations. Lawrence S. Dryer, 39, has been named vicepresident of internal audit.

After three months operating as MarketSpan Corp., the companyformed by the merger of Brooklyn Union Gas parent KeySpan Energyand Long Island Lighting and Power, has decided to change its nameto KeySpan Energy. CEO Robert B. Catell said the decision was madebecause of KeySpan’s superior name recognition in its serviceterritory. The company will trade on the New York Stock Exchangeunder the symbol KSE.

After three months operating as MarketSpan Corp., the companyformed by the merger of Brooklyn Union Gas parent KeySpan Energyand Long Island Lighting and Power, has decided to change its nameto KeySpan Energy. CEO Robert B. Catell said the decision was madebecause of KeySpan’s superior name recognition in its serviceterritory. The company will trade on the New York Stock Exchangeunder the symbol KSE.

A delay on upstream unbundling continued this week in Oklahomawhere regulators and Oklahoma Natural Gas are in a heated battleover some of the changes ordered by the commission in July. Theutility refuses to begin a competitive bidding process ontransmission and supply service to the state’s major cities. Itfiled an appeal of the unbundling order with the Oklahoma SupremeCourt last week, saying it raised a number of constitutionalissues. The two sides may reach a settlement, but a dispute overabout $11 million stands in the way.

Taking its name and direction from its unregulated subsidiary,Washington Water Power announced Monday it will be cutting itsdividend by 61% and putting the money saved into growing allaspects of its business. The aim is to grow “a bigger and strongercompany” and the second priority is speed, the company’s newchairman and CEO Tom Matthews said.

Tuesdays are oftentimes a day of small prices changes at the NewYork Mercantile Exchange, and this Tuesday proved to be noexception. The spot August contract settled unchanged at $2.365yesterday, as many traders reportedly remained on the sidelines inanticipation of the next AGA storage report to be released laterthis evening.