Friendly

Normally friendly and past partners in various deals, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Calpine Corp. are at odds over what the utility alleges is the merchant power plant developer/operator’s conspiring with merchant natural gas storage operators at Lodi in Northern California to bypass the PG&E utility backbone pipeline transmission system. As a result, PG&E’s utility alleges that natural gas retail customers could pay an extra $20 million.

Ending six weeks of arduous and sometimes rancorous debate, the Democrat-led Senate last Thursday passed sweeping energy legislation, the Energy Policy Act of 2002, that dangles “carrots” in front of pipeline companies to build an Alaskan natural gas transportation system, gives small producers multi-billion dollar tax breaks to spur domestic oil and gas production, increases renewable fuel use and production, and offers reforms to further enhance competition in the electricity markets.

While Wall Street was kicking the natural gas and electric sector in the teeth, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission played Santa Claus last week and gave most of the regulated energy companies — with the exception of El Paso Corp. — exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

El Paso Corp. officially launched its friendly C$347 million ($228 million) bid for Calgary’s Velvet Exploration Ltd. on Thursday, which, when completed, would give the Houston-based producer about 172 Bcfe more in net reserves, 59% natural gas, in the highly sought after Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The acquisition was announced earlier this month (see Daily GPI, June 15).

Only two weeks after it had launched its friendly takeover bid of Gulf Canada Resources Ltd., Conoco Inc. reported on Wednesday that the Canadian Commissioner of Competition issued an advanced ruling certificate to the company, allowing the acquisition to go forward without the requirement of any further approvals under the Canadian Competition Act.

New York should add at least 10,000 MW of new, more efficient and environmentally-friendly generation capacity within five years, the Business Council of New York State Inc. (BCNYS) recently told the state’s energy planning board. BCNYS believes that additional capacity should be the focus of New York’s revised energy plan, according to Council President Daniel Walsh. BCNYS is made up of thousands of member firms, including hundreds of chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations.

New York should add at least 10,000 MW of new, more efficient and environmentally-friendly generation capacity within five years, the Business Council of New York State Inc. (BCNYS) recently told the state’s energy planning board. BCNYS believes that additional capacity should be the focus of New York’s revised energy plan, according to Council President Daniel Walsh. BCNYS is made up of thousands of member firms, including hundreds of chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations.

Conoco Northern Inc., a subsidiary of Houston-based Conoco Inc., officially launched its friendly takeover bid for Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. on Friday, tendering a cash offer that would pay the Calgary-based company C$12.40 per share in a deal worth $4.3 billion (C$6.7 billion). The two companies agreed to the sale in May (see NGI, June 4), and Conoco’s offer will expire on July 13.

Conoco Northern Inc., a subsidiary of Houston-based Conoco Inc., officially launched its friendly takeover bid for Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. on Friday, tendering a cash offer that would pay the Calgary-based company C$12.40 per share in a deal worth $4.3 billion (C$6.7 billion). The two companies agreed to the sale in May (see Daily GPI, May 30), and Conoco’s offer will expire on July 13.