Executives

Attorneys and executives that have used the collaborativeprocess to reach agreement on thorny issues prior to filinghydropower relicensing applications touted the benefits of theprocedures for the natural gas pipeline industry, but they stressedthat the time involved and even the costs in some cases can beoverwhelming.

Announcements of new pipeline projects are booming despiterecently voiced concerns by pipeline executives that return onequity is not sufficient to justify new construction (see NGI, Feb.2). A recent NGI survey of projects announced over the last threeyears indicates more than 7 Bcf/d of new capacity has already beenconstructed in the U.S. and Canada, with nearly 21 Bcf/d ofcombined capacity additions approved or under consideration. Thisis in addition to projects canceled or put on hold indefinitely.

Five senior AGL Resources officers are leaving the company forearly retirement or other business interests, the company said.Leaving the company are Thomas Benson, President and COO of AtlantaGas Light; Robert Goocher, COO of AGL Resources Services; VerleneCobb, vice president corporate communications; Charlie Lail, seniorvice president operations improvement; and Marvin Wyatt Jr., vicepresident operations support. All but Benson’s position are beingeliminated as part of CEO Walter M. Higgins effort to betterposition AGL for gas deregulation in Georgia, which is scheduled totake place later this year. Higgins took over as CEO in February.AGL said an acting president of Atlanta Gas Light will be announcedwithin the next several days as will other internal reassignments.

Cinergy Corp. is reorganizing its power and gas tradingoperations in the wake of former President J. Wayne Leonard’sdeparture to Entergy Corp. Cinergy has named Madeleine W. Ludlow,currently vice president and chief financial officer, to be the newpresident of Cinergy Capital and Trading and announced Michael J.Cyrus, an executive with Electric Clearinghouse, will becomeexecutive vice president, overseeing power trading operations.