Dennis

Federal bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali has ordered a hearing to set up settlement talks between Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the California Public Utility Commission in the PG&E utility’s $13 billion bankruptcy case. The judge said further delay in the case will lead to a “staggering expense” for all parties.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali has denied Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s request for a summary judgment against the alternative reorganization plan proposed by the California Public Utility Commission.

AES Corp. CEO Dennis Bakke last week became the latest top executive in the energy business to call it quits. The AES board elected Paul T. Hanrahan as president and CEO effective immediately, and Hanrahan went right to work, promising significant additional steps to restructure AES’ global power operations in order to restore investor confidence.

Austin-based Southern Union Co. has named David W. Stevens as executive vice-president of utility operations and Dennis K. Morgan as executive vice-president of administration. The company said Stevens will be responsible for overseeing the company’s natural gas operating divisions: Southern Union Gas, Missouri Gas Energy, Atlantic Utilities, PG Energy, and New England. In addition, Stevens will oversee the customer service, engineering and gas supply departments. Stevens is currently the president of Southern Union Gas. Morgan will be responsible for overseeing a broad range of corporate administrative functions, including legal, human resources, risk, environmental matters, and corporate communications. Southern Union is an international energy distribution company serving nearly 1.6 million customers in Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida and Mexico.

Dennis J. Seeley has been named president of National Fuel GasSupply Corp., the gas pipeline and storage arm of National FuelGas. Co. He previously served as senior vice president and directorof National Fuel Gas Distribution.

Calgary, AB-based Alliance Pipeline and Aux Sable LiquidProducts said Norman R. Gish has replaced Dennis W. Cornelson aspresident and CEO effective immediately.

Alliance CEO Dennis Cornelson reiterated yesterday he’s not theslightest bit concerned about upstream gas supply problems puttinga damper on Alliance throughput once the the pipeline isconstructed. “Thinking about that very issue over the years, Ithink that it’s clear that with the higher gas prices that arebeing realized and the relatively low prices for oil at this timethat there will be real focus on natural gas exploration anddevelopment over the next several years.

The Alliance Pipeline project’s in-service date is expected tobe delayed by about one year, Alliance Pipeline President and CEODennis Cornelson announced yesterday. The massive Canadian gaspipeline project designed to bring 2.3 Bcf/d of supply to theChicago hub from supply basins in British Columbia and Albertalikely won’t start flowing gas until late in 2000 rather than inNovember 1999 because of continued regulatory delays in Canada. Theproject has come under a hail of protests from competitors inongoing hearings in front of Canada’s National Energy Board.