Customers

ANR notified interruptible storage customers under the DDS andMBS rate schedules that they will be limited to zero net injectionsduring the Sept. 1-Oct. 31 period. Injections will be allowed intoDDS/MBS accounts only if the customer withdraws an equal or greateramount of gas prior to Nov. 1.

UtiliCorp United energy marketing subsidiary Aquila Energylaunched The Exchange Center, a new business to offer customersaccess to gas storage and transportation without the need fortraditional service contracts. “We are in a unique position tooffer services that provide utilities, end users and marketingcompanies the ability to meet their commercial and operationalobjectives in a more cost-effective, market-responsive manner,”said Robert Poehling, Exchange Center senior vice president.

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft signed the state’s electric restructuringbill Tuesday. All Ohio customers are to have a choice of suppliersbeginning Jan. 1, 2001. Beginning Jan. 1, 2001 consumers will enjoya mandatory rate reduction of 5% provided for in the bill and beable to purchase electricity from whichever company they choose.

The Pennsylvania Senate is expected to pass Senate bill 601, the gas deregulation bill for small commercial and residential customers, on June 7, said a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Piccola, the bill’s main sponsor.

The Pennsylvania state senate will pass senate bill 601, (SB601), the gas deregulation bill for small commercial andresidential customers, on June 7, said a spokesman for Sen. JeffPiccola’s office. Piccola is the bill’s main sponsor in the statesenate.

South Jersey Gas Co. has signed an agreement with WeatherwiseUSA allowing the New Jersey LDC to offer its retail gas customers aWeatherProof Bill. The bill, which is based on historical gas usepatterns, utility rates, average temperatures, and administrativecosts, fixes a customer’s total gas costs for 12 months withouthigh settle-up charges to cover any excess gas use.

Flows to some customers of distributor Cascade Natural Gas weredisrupted Saturday when Northwest Pipeline’s 22-inch mainlineruptured near Pendleton, OR.

Shippers are reacting cautiously to the pipelines’auction-related proposals that would cap the reserve price – theminimum bid that pipes would accept – at the maximum lawful ratefor short-term capacity, and initiate seasonal ratemaking.

U.S. energy marketing companies seem to be overlooking asuccessful method of drawing in vast numbers of retail customers.”Affinity” marketing, which involves striking exclusive allianceswith large organizations and companies to offer services to theirmembers and employees, is a marketing method that has proved quitesuccessful in the United Kingdom but largely has been untried inthe U.S., New York-based Datamonitor said in a new study.