Formally

Pipeline construction season has officially begun as two natural gas pipeline companies formally announced on Tuesday their new proposed projects for the Southeastern region’s gas needs. As Southern Natural Gas Co. unveiled its intentions to expand its Sonat system for the third time in the last year to supply incremental demand in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, Duke Energy Gas Transmission (DEGT) launched a month-long open season to determine market interest in a new natural gas supply and transportation option called the Alabama-Georgia Energy System.

The White House yesterday formally sent its nomination of Texas regulator Patrick Wood III as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to the Senate to begin confirmation hearings.

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) will formally introduce today the first bipartisan legislation aimed at restoring price stability and reliability in the western electricity and natural gas markets.

NiSource Inc. and Columbia Energy Group formally complete theirmerger today, after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissiongave it final approval this week. The combined company, which willserve 3.6 million gas and electric customers in nine states, willtrade as NiSource on the New York Stock Exchange. Columbia’s shareswill cease trading before the market opens Thursday.

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington Monday sent aletter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission renewing earlierrequests for a temporary western wholesale price cap onelectricity, but allowing a $25/MWh profit over the cost of thepower. A similar proposal, they said, has been offered by FERCCommissioner William Massey.

Before a packed crowd of the Who’s Who in Washington, D.C.energy circles, Senate leaders yesterday formally introduced theirlong-awaited comprehensive legislation aimed at boosting domesticsupplies of conventional energy fuels and improving energyefficiency and conservation efforts in the nation.

PG&E National Energy Group, an affiliate of PG&E Corp.,last week formally filed an application at FERC seeking the greenlight to build the U.S. leg of a 215-mile natural gas pipeline thatwould extend from the Arizona-California border through northernBaja in Mexico.

NiSource Inc. and Columbia Energy Group formally completed their merger last week, after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission gave it final approval. The combined company, which will serve 3.6 million gas and electric customers in nine states, will trade as NiSource on the New York Stock Exchange. Columbia’s shares ceased trading before the market opened last Thursday.

PG&E National Energy Group, an affiliate of PG&E Corp.,has formally filed an application at FERC seeking the green lightto build the U.S. leg of a 215-mile natural gas pipeline that wouldextend from the Arizona-California border through northern Baja inMexico.