Conectiv, a Mid-Atlantic electric and gas utility, announcedsweeping changes in its strategic focus earlier this week, but didnot alter its plan for gas operations. Conectiv said the changeswere made due to a clearing regulatory picture in the areas itserves.
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Transportation Notes
Maintenance on parts of Columbia Gulf’s East Lateral system(Paradis Line) will begin Saturday, two days earlier thanpreviously announced. Originally scheduled to begin May 10 (seeDaily GPI, April 19), the work will take three to 10 days tocomplete and require about 65,000 dth/d to be shut in at 11measurement stations.
Amoco Backs Auction for Short-, Long-Term Markets
In a lengthy filing at FERC earlier this week, Amoco Productionand Amoco Energy Trading registered their strong support for thecontroversial auction of capacity in both the short-term andlong-term transportation markets.
SoCal Signals Transportation Changes
The nation’s largest gas distributor, Southern California Gas,earlier this week signaled a possible future change in the way itscustomers access intrastate transmission during oral arguments atthe CPUC on future changes in California’s gas industry. Inaddition, for the first time, a number of the 19 major participantsin the state’s gas restructuring proceeding suggested a settlementprocess might be adopted to resolve some controversial issues.
ANR Tries to Protect WI Market from New Rival
After an assault on its prized Wisconsin markets earlier thismonth by a formidable new rival pipeline project proposed by Wicor,Viking Gas and CMS Energy, ANR Pipeline came out shooting last weekwith a pledge to continue its annual expansions into the state. TheCoastal Corp. subsidiary said its “10-Cent Solution” program, whichhas yielded two expansion projects in the last eighteen months willcontinue to be the best option for gas shippers in the region. Thisyear’s open season started last week and will continue throughApril 30 for new firm transportation service starting Nov. 1, 2001.
Compromise is Key for PA Deregulation Bill
After months of debate and compromise between regulators,marketers and LDCs, SB 601 was introduced to the Pennsylvanialegislature earlier this week, moving residential and smallcommercial gas customers one step closer to gas supply choice. Thenext step for the bill will come on March 23, when the SenateConsumer Protection committee will hold a hearing on the bill.
Most Prices Still Falling for Weekend and the First
Prices for the concluding weekend of February maintained thesoftening trend that had started earlier in the week, ranging fromflat to a little over a dime lower. And although swing gas tradedFriday for today’s flow only was flat at a few points, most sourcesagreed that the initial March aftermarket was trending downwardoverall from both bidweek indexes and weekend levels.
Prices Down in Incremental, Bidweek Trading
The slippery slope on which cash prices started sliding earlierthis week got steeper Thursday. As on Wednesday, the softness wasbeing felt in both the late-February incremental and March bidweekmarkets.
NGSA’s Bush Accused of Misappropriating $2 Million
The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), which represents thenation’s major gas producers, earlier this week placed itspresident, Nicholas J. Bush, on administrative leave without pay inthe wake of an investigation and a subsequent civil lawsuitaccusing him of misappropriating more than $2 million from thegroup since the late 1980s. The D.C. Superior Court, where the suitwas filed, has issued a temporary restraining order against Bushand has continued the case until Feb. 26 [Docket No. 001028-99].
FERC Gives Nod to Columbia Gulf Compression Upgrade
FERC earlier this week gave the go-ahead to a compressionupgrade that would add 315,218 Dth/d of firm transportationcapacity to Columbia Gulf Transmission, bringing its system up toits certificated capacity level and then some.