Firms

Citing a 34% average increase on year-to-date share priceswithin the U.S. electric power industry, Deutsche Banc Alex. Brownanalyst James Dobson initiated a watch of 18 generation and 15distribution companies in the firm’s U.S Electric Power Industryreport.

To borrow a little from Shakespeare, the Summer of 2000 in SanDiego has been the season of consumers’ extreme discontent.Consumers burn their bills in protest, others just are burning.State officials, led by Gov. Gray Davis, claim profit-hungrynon-utility power plant owners have taken advantage of severesupply shortages to gouge consumers. But what’s the real story?

Despite the fact that bids were considered well below whatgovernment officials hoped, Alberta soon expects to be the firstCanadian province to successfully deregulate its power industryafter five companies won the rights to sell electric power in thecoming retail marketplace, which opens Jan. 1, 2001.

To borrow a little from Shakespeare, the Summer of 2000 in SanDiego has been the season of consumers’ extreme discontent.Consumers burn their bills in protest, others just are burning.State officials, led by Gov. Gray Davis, claim profit-hungrynon-utility power plant owners have taken advantage of severesupply shortages to gouge consumers. But what’s the real story?

IntercontinentalExchange, founded earlier this year by leadingU.S. and European financial institutions and energy and naturalresource firms, has chosen IXnet, a Global Crossing, Ltd. company,to fully manage its global transaction network. IXnet is thedeveloper of an intelligent, high-performance global Extranetdesigned principally for the financial services community.IntercontinentalExchange is scheduled to begin trading preciousmetals in August, with OTC energy products, including natural gas,slated for Q4. The exchange’s partners include American ElectricPower, Aquila Energy, BP Amoco, Deutsche Bank AG, Duke Energy, ElPaso Energy, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, ReliantEnergy, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, SG Investment Banking, SouthernCompany Energy Marketing, Totalfina Elf, and Continental PowerExchange

Sempra Energy, PG&E Corp. and Proxima Gas SA de CV announcedlast week a three-way effort to build and operate a $230 million,212-mile natural gas pipeline to serve the rapidly growing energyloads in the southern end of California and the northern tip ofBaja along the U.S.-Mexico border. The principal target market isnew and existing electric generating plants and “otherenergy-intensive industries” in northern Baja, the sponsors said.

Sempra Energy, PG&E Corp. and Proxima Gas SA de CV announcedMonday a three-way effort to build and operate a $230 million,212-mile natural gas pipeline to serve the rapidly growing energyloads in the southern end of California and the northern tip ofBaja along the U.S.-Mexico border. The principal target market isnew and existing electric generating plants and “otherenergy-intensive industries” in northern Baja, the sponsors said.

In an effort to build a larger customer base, cut costs and offer a wider variety of commodities and services, Indiana Energy, parent of Indiana Gas, announced plans to merge with Sigcorp, the holding company for Southern Indiana Gas and Electric (Sigeco). The merger of equals will create a new $1.9 billion holding company called Vectren Corp.

Indiana Energy Inc., parent of Indiana Gas Co., and Sigcorp, theholding company for Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Co. (Sigeco),announced plans to merge and create a new $1.9 billion holdingcompany called Vectern Corp. The transaction was approved by theboards of directors of both companies Monday. If the regulators andthe companies’ shareholders give their nods to the deal, Vectrenwould become the largest combined utility in the state, serving650,000 gas and electric customers.