electric

UtiliCorp United and Empire District Electric Co. have announcedthey have signed a definitive agreement to merge the twoMissouri-based companies in a stock and cash transaction valued at$800 million, including the assumption of debt.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) unanimously approvedthe proposed merger of American Electric Power Co. of Columbus, OH,and Dallas-based Central and South West Corp.

Opening up the electric market to retail trade in Canada and theU.S. “will reinforce the trend towards greater use of natural gasin power generation resulting from the development of combinedcycle gas turbine power plants,” according to George Given, authorof a new study by the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI).

Michael I. German has been elected president and COO of New YorkState Electric & Gas based in Ithaca, NY. German joined NYSEGin 1994 as senior vice president of the company’s Gas BusinessUnit. Prior to that he was senior vice president of the AmericanGas Association in Washington. NYSEG is the primary subsidiary ofEnergy East Corp., which offered to buy Connecticut Energy Corp.for $617 million last Friday.

Energy East Corp., parent of New York State Electric &Gas, offered to buy Connecticut Energy Corp. (CNE) for $617 million Friday, paving the way for the combined utility to add 160,000 new gas customers and at the same time continuing to shrink the number of pure gas utilities. The board of directors for each company has agreed to the deal.

Energy East Corp., parent of New York State Electric & Gas,offered to buy Connecticut Energy Corp. (CNE) for $617 millionFriday, paving the way for the combined utility to add 160,000 newgas customers and at the same time continuing to shrink the numberof pure gas utilities. The board of directors for each company hasagreed to the deal.

Cinergy’s PSI Energy subsidiary is looking for a new presidentfollowing the retirement of John M. Mutz, who had been president ofthe electric utility since 1993.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and California’s independent powerproducers with qualifying facility (QF) contracts have cut a dealto free up excess power from the merchant generators to help handledemand spikes anticipated during this summer’s heat waves. TheCalifornia Independent Energy Producers (IEP) expect to have anadvice letter filing with state regulators by the end or April tofree up as much as 1,000 MW of power in the summer. Thin ancillaryservices supplies last summer caused record price spikes.

Pacific Gas & Electric issued a low-inventory Stage 1 OFOfor today carrying penalties of $1/dth for negative imbalancesexceeding 5% of scheduled volumes.