Escalated

While still new in Canada, competition has escalated in naturalgas transportation to the point where some big shippers say theyface a “rate shock” of steep toll increases later this year. TheCanadian Industrial Gas Users Association says “disruptive” hikesare coming unless TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. is immediately bailedout with an “interim” raise to spread its losses from the rivalrythinner over all of 2001.

While still new in Canada, competition has escalated in naturalgas transportation to the point where some big shippers say theyface a “rate shock” of steep toll increases later this year. TheCanadian Industrial Gas Users Association says “disruptive” hikesare coming unless TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. is immediately bailedout with an “interim” raise to spread its losses from its rivalsover all of 2001.

With the Supreme Court decision in effect handing the presidencyto Texas Gov. George W. Bush, speculation has escalated inWashington D.C. over who will be named the next FERC chairman undera Republican administration.

Coming at a time when a national plan is gathering more supportas energy prices have escalated at the pump and in homes andbusinesses, the governors of the 30 U.S. oil and gas producingstates this week began their push for an official national energypolicy, offering their own four-pronged strategy.

The war of words over the controversial Southwest GasCorp.-Oneok Inc. union escalated last week. It began with ChairmanCarl J. Kunasek of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) firingoff letters to the two merger partners asking them to agree to letSouthern Union (SU), the unsuccessful suitor for Southwest Gas,intervene in the ACC proceedings involving the proposed merger.Both Southwest Gas and Oneok not only objected to the chairman’srequest, but also challenged Southern Union to prove “once and forall” its allegations that ACC officials – at the request of Oneok -illegally influenced Southwest’s choice of merger partner.