Consulting

True Quote announced an alliance with Cap Gemini Ernst &Young to provide customers with information technology consulting,as well as system and business integration services. In addition,the companies intend to license truequote.com’s advanced tradingplatform to the global marketplace, including turnkey solutions forother exchanges desiring real-time bid-ask systems. These serviceswill be provided to clients under the “TQ Trade Solutions” brandname. “This alliance will expedite the deployment of integratedsolutions beyond the box, allowing us to provide powerful and cost-effective products to our customers,” said True Quote President andCEO Dennis Crum. True Quote develops and operates independentelectronic energy trading platforms and portals. These systemsprovide virtual trading communities for market participants tocommunicate and transact in an efficient, real-time environment.The truequote.com application architecture is devoted to anopen-access, broker-assisted model that allows equal access to allqualified market participants. Currently, PG&E National EnergyGroup, APB Energy, Inc., Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, EnFORMTechnology LLC and Microsoft Corp. are the principal companiesworking together to develop and promote truequote.com. Thetechnology has been developed using the latest distributedapplication design and development principles, as outlined inMicrosoft’s Distributed Internet Application Architecture (WindowsDNA). For more information visit the company’s website atwww.truequote.com or call Lee Ann Zoeller at (800) 327-1499.

A Maryland-based Internet consulting firm says it plans to askFERC to initiate an inquiry into the impact of the e-commercerevolution on regulated energy industries and vice versa, but firstit wants to get industry input on the issue.

A Maryland-based Internet consulting firm says it plans to askFERC to initiate an inquiry into the impact of the e-commercerevolution on regulated energy industries and vice versa, but firstit wants to get industry input on the issue.

Jim Buccigross, regulatory division manager of Boston-basedenergy consulting firm Skipping Stone Inc., is the energyindustry’s first Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB)-certifiedreviewer. Through GISB, Buccigross has the authority to review andcertify that a company’s software meets crucial criteria thatsupports GISB-set standards.

Prosper Business Development Corp., a Columbus, OH-basedconsulting and marketing firm, released an addendum to a previousreport on deregulating energy markets yesterday, citing a new listof pitfalls in the changing energy environment. The report,”Accelerating Energy’s Challenge to Change,” is intended to enhanceenergy marketers’ profitability as they enter deregulating markets.

Energy consulting company Skipping Stone Inc. is adding acommunications systems notch to its bow with the acquisition ofTransCapacity Inc., an established provider of software and systemsto automate pipeline transportation.

CMS Marketing, Services and Trading (CMS-MST) expanded itsCanadian presence yesterday as PremStar Energy, Canada, a CMS-MSTaffiliate, acquired ECNG Inc., an independent energy consultingfirm, from El Paso Energy Marketing Canada Inc. Terms were notdisclosed. PremStar worked together with a group of formerexecutives from ECNG to acquire the firm.

ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller, an environmental and engineeringservices consulting firm, and the Gas Research Institute (GRI) haveformed an alliance to commercialize natural gas co-firing andrelated technologies that significantly enhance steam boilerperformance.

Major price spikes could recur in the Midwest power market thissummer, according to a key consulting group. “I would say it’s like50-50 whether we’re going to have very gross spikes there,” saidJudah Rose, vice president of wholesale power for ICF KaiserInternational Inc. “It looks like we may luck out, but it’s stillvery, very dicey” in the Midwest region. A major factor is “no oneknows who’s in charge of reliability in the Midwest,” he toldGasMart/Power ’99 in Dallas. Rose believes the federal governmentneeds to intervene to settle the issue once and for all. “There isnothing more federal than the intersected power grid. The federalgovernment needs.to set up who’s in charge of reliability, figureout what the rules are.”