Department

The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control approved afirm transportation agreement between Southern Connecticut Gas, CNEEnergy Services Group and Milford Power that requires Southern toinstall distribution lines and transport 96,000 Dth/d of gas to theproposed 544 MW Milford Power Plant. The electric generatingfacility has a targeted in-service date of February 2001.

The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control approved afirm transportation agreement between Southern Connecticut Gas, CNEEnergy Services Group and Milford Power that requires Southern toinstall distribution lines and transport 96,000 Dth/d of gas to theproposed 544 MW Milford Power Plant. The electric generatingfacility has a targeted in-service date of February 2001.

Department of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson likened the powerindustry to an old jalopy in desperate need of repair yesterday atan energy conference in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the NationalEnergy Marketers Association. He expressed concern that Congresshas not been too interested in moving power restructuringlegislation and said if legislation isn’t completed soon there willbe dire consequences. “My main message is that unless there isrestructuring soon there are going to be power outages in thiscountry,” Richardson said.

Just days after winning antitrust clearance from the Departmentof Justice (DOJ), the proposed merger of Philadelphia-based PECOEnergy Co. and Unicom Corp. of Chicago, parent of CommonwealthEdison Co., got more good news last week — it sailed through FERCwithout any conditions attached.

Phase Two of Tengasco Inc.’s pipeline system is now underconstruction following permitting by the Tennessee Department ofTransportation. The 28-mile mile project will complete the 60-milesystem, which ties Tengasco’s Swan Creek gas field into end-usermarkets in Eastern Tennessee. The pipeline is the only intrastategas carrier in Tennessee.

Tengasco Inc. began construction on Phase Two of its gaspipeline system following permitting by the Tennessee Department ofTransportation. The 28-mile mile second phase will complete the60-mile system, which ties Tengasco’s Swan Creek gas field intoend-user markets in Eastern Tennessee. The pipeline is the onlyintrastate gas carrier in Tennessee.

Just days after winning anti-trust clearance from the Departmentof Justice (DOJ), the proposed merger of Philadelphia-based PECOEnergy Co. and Unicom Corp. of Chicago, parent of CommonwealthEdison Co., got some more good news yesterday — it sailed throughFERC with no conditions attached.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is planning to hold a series of”summits” later this month to address the potential for more poweroutages this summer. Three summits are planned for April 24 —Hartford, CT, New Orleans, LA, and in an undetermined northern NewJersey city – with Energy Secretary Bill Richardson scheduled tojet to each one, along with utility executives, state regulatorsand local officials. A follow-up summit will be held April 28 inSacramento, CA. Richardson is expected to address measures thefederal government can take to prevent a repeat of brownouts,outages and price spikes during the summer months. While thesituation may have improved somewhat over last summer, “hecertainly doesn’t think we’re out of the woods yet,” said DOEspokesman Tom Welch.

A published news report indicating that the Department of Energy(DOE) has entered into discussions with FERC over the merits ofconstructing the East-bound Independence Pipeline is false, theCommission and DOE said.