Cities

Looking at temperature predictions over the next three months, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. said it expects the northwest and the coastal cities of California to average colder than normal conditions while a majority of the southern U.S. and the East are anticipated to see warmer than normal readings.

Atmos Energy Corp. has filed with the 66 cities it serves in West Texas to increase its natural gas utility rates. Atmos, which formerly operated in West Texas as Energas Co., last filed for a rate increase in 1999. As a part of its filing, Atmos proposed a Weather Normalization Adjustment Rider to reduce variability in gas bills during the heating season and to help to stabilize customers’ rates and Atmos revenues. If approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the average monthly bill for all customer classes would increase about 7.32%, or about $3.29 a month. Atmos serves approximately 151,255 natural gas utility customers in West Texas.

TXU Gas Co., a subsidiary of TXU Corp., on Friday requested to increase its natural gas rates in 437 incorporated cities throughout its service territory, which includes the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given final environmental clearance to East Tennessee Natural Gas Co.’s Patriot expansion and extension project that will serve expanding natural gas distribution and generation load in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given final environmental clearance to East Tennessee Natural Gas Co.’s Patriot expansion and extension project that will serve expanding natural gas distribution and generation load in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Warm temperatures in major eastern cities and apprehension aboutthe possibility of “another bullish storage report” gave bulls thereason to buoy the market higher yesterday, and they did notsquander the opportunity. Buying, led mainly by commercial traders,sent the July contract up to a retest of its previous open outcrysession high of $2.41 before settling at $2.407. Estimated volumewas 73,884.

Sempra Energy International is in the running for its third gasproject in Mexico with its bid to build distribution infrastructureto serve the cities of Torreon, Gomez, Palacio, Ciudad Lerdo, andDurango with the La Laguna-Durango system. Mexico’s EnergyRegulatory Commission (CRE) will announce the winning bidder nolater than May 20.