Could

The rapid transition to a competitive power industry wasresponsible for last summer’s outages and brownouts, and a repeatcould be in store for this year, according to the results of theDepartment of Energy’s (DOE) final report on reliability issues.

A peak at some producer year-end results suggests average dailydomestic gas production could be down about 3% 1998 to 1999.

Despite warning investors that warm weather during the fourthquarter could negatively impact earnings by as much as 10cents/share, the CMS has nonetheless deemed 1999 a success. Itsearnings will be released in mid-January, a company spokesman said.

CMS Energy said yesterday it plans to hold an open season thatcould determine the fate of all or part of the Trunkline Pipeline.During the open season, which begins today and will end Dec. 15,the pipeline intends to determine how many customers are willing tosign long-term firm transportation agreements at full tariff ratesfor service beginning April 2000.

CMS Energy said last week it plans to hold an open season thatcould determine the fate of all or part of the Trunkline Pipeline.During the open season, which begins today and will end Dec. 15,the pipeline intends to determine how many customers are willing tosign long-term firm transportation agreements at full tariff ratesfor service beginning April 2000.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker announced last week that staffhas developed new timelines that could reduce the litigation timeby one-third for cases set for hearing before the Commission’sadministrative law judges (ALJ). The new timelines take effectimmediately, and apply to new cases and any pending cases thathaven’t had a procedural schedule set by a presiding judge.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker announced yesterday that staffhas developed new timelines that could reduce the litigation timeby one-third for cases set for hearing before the Commission’sadministrative law judges (ALJ). The new timelines take effectimmediately, and apply to new cases and any pending cases thathaven’t had a procedural schedule set by a presiding judge.

Transco alerted shippers that some production possibly could beinterrupted today on the Southeast Louisiana Lateral. The U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers is expected to take about eight hours tocomplete matting of the western bank of the Mississippi River.Transco said it will make every operational effort to keep thiswork from impacting production, but curtailments are possible ifunforeseen events lengthen the operation.

Responding to outside assessments that U.S. natural gasproduction could be 5% below the average of recent heating seasons,the American Gas Association (AGA) said it expected “ample suppliesof natural gas to be available this winter at competitive prices.