Distributors

Despite strong urging from natural gas distributors, the regional Northwest Power Planning Council in Portland, OR, is expected later this month to draw short of stepping up the region’s push for faster natural gas conversions by end-users, letting market forces decide. Meanwhile, the council is keeping a close eye on the extremely low hydro situation, whose impact has been eased by a combination of emergency generation units and shutdown of major industrial plants.

Despite strong urging from natural gas distributors, the regional Northwest Power Planning Council in Portland, OR, is expected later this month to draw short of stepping up the region’s push for faster natural conversions by end-users, letting market forces decide. Meanwhile, the council is keeping a close eye on the extremely low hydro situation, whose impact has been eased by a combination of emergency generation units and shutdown of major industrial plants.

Taking its cue from FERC’s Dec. 15 ruling on reforms in theCalifornia power markets, a national group of municipal gasdistributors last week called on the Commission to immediatelyissue an order that would set $2.74/Mcf as the benchmark price fornatural gas over the next three years, and would provide forcustomer refunds for any sales above that level.

KeySpan expanded its presence in the Northeast last week with a$2.5 billion acquisition of Weston, MA’s Eastern Enterprises andManchester, NH’s EnergyNorth. Joined with KeySpan’s Brooklyn UnionLDC, the deal creates the largest natural gas distribution companyin the Northeast and fifth largest in the United States, with 2.4million natural gas customers.

KeySpan expanded its presence in the Northeast this week, with a$2.5 billion acquisition of Weston, MA’s Eastern Enterprises andManchester, NH’s EnergyNorth. The deal creates the largest naturalgas distribution company in the Northeast and fifth largest in theUnited States, with 2.4 million natural gas customers.

California’s three principal gas distributors are gearing up fora major customer education program this fall in the face ofincreased wholesale gas prices ranging from 35% to 50%. It hascaused the companies to dust off conservation and low-incomeassistance programs from previous years.

The coming winter season should have little effect on thenatural gas supplies in New England, which, according to oneofficial, now has the “best supply portfolio” ever.

The coming winter season should have little effect on the natural gas supplies in New England, which, according to one official, now has the “best supply portfolio” ever.

Both of California’s two major distributors, Southern CaliforniaGas and Pacific Gas & Electric, had high-pack OFOs in placeSaturday. The one by SoCal Gas applied to all shippers whilePG&E’s was customer-specific.