Electronic

Equitable Gas Co. said it will install 260,000 electronic meter reading devices in its southwestern Pennsylvania utility service territory to gain efficiencies and cut long-term service costs. The implementation and installation process will begin later this month and will be completed by September 2006.

FERC last Wednesday approved revised standards governing business practices and electronic communications for interstate natural gas pipelines, as well as issued a proposed rule to adopt similar standards for electric utilities for the first time.

FERC on Wednesday approved revised standards governing business practices and electronic communications for interstate natural gas pipelines, as well as issued a proposed rule to adopt similar standards for electric utilities for the first time.

Instead of charging a fee for using its new electronic trading system, the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (Nymex) plans to pay traders for creating liquidity. Under the terms of the program, any participant who makes a bid or offer on the Nymex ClearPort network that is subsequently accepted will receive payment in lieu of an exchange fee.

The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) said it plans to hold a special Nymex Access electronic trading session on Wednesday afternoon so that the natural gas futures market will be open during the release of the Energy Information Administration’s weekly natural gas storage report.

The IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), a large electronic trading system for the energy and metals industries, signed an agreement with the London Clearing House (LCH) to offer optional clearing services to its over-the-counter (OTC) market participants. Clearing services are expected to be available as early as the fourth quarter.

The IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), a large electronic trading system for the energy and metals industries, signed an agreement with the London Clearing House (LCH) to offer optional clearing services to its over-the-counter (OTC) market participants. Clearing services are expected to be available as early as the fourth quarter.

Shell Trading unveiled its mega-energy electronic tradingplatform in London this week, offering the first heavy dutycompetition for Enron Corp.’s industry-leading EnronOnline.

Houston-based Altra Energy Technologies, a leading independentprovider of electronic trading products for the energy industry,may soon put even more distance between itself and the rest of thepack in the frenzied race to be the foremost in online energytrading.