Governor

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft signed the state’s electric restructuringbill Tuesday. All Ohio customers are to have a choice of suppliersbeginning Jan. 1, 2001. Beginning Jan. 1, 2001 consumers will enjoya mandatory rate reduction of 5% provided for in the bill and beable to purchase electricity from whichever company they choose.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge signed House Bill 1331 last Tuesday, deregulating many aspects of the states gas industry and paving the way for statewide customer choice to begin Nov. 1.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge signed House Bill 1331 Tuesday,deregulating many aspects of the state gas industry and paving theway for statewide customer choice to begin Nov. 1.

Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson says he supports phase two ofANR Pipeline’s Wisconsin 2000 Expansion that would add 194 MMcf/dof firm capacity to meet peak-day requirements and the needs of thegrowing power generation market in the state.

Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson said he supports phase two ofANR Pipeline’s Wisconsin 2000 Expansion that would add 194 MMcf/dof firm capacity to meet peak-day requirements and the needs of thegrowing power generation market in the state.

Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening signed into law electricderegulation legislation and related tax bills. The legislationenables the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to moveforward on the details of how the state’s power industry will bederegulated. “I am pleased that the legislature responded to myproposal to include a mandated rate reduction for Marylandresidential homeowners in the bill to protect consumers fromunintended rate increases,” Glendening said in an earlier statementregarding the bill. “Frankly, I wish the reduction was more than3%. I also wish that stronger environmental provisions had beenincluded. The General Assembly has strongly indicated, however,that they believe this proposal is the best that can beaccomplished, and this bill is too important for Maryland’s futureto hold up further.” The law will phase in residential customerchoice over a three-year period beginning with one-third ofresidential customers July 1, 2000. Residential customers choosingto keep their utility as supplier would get rate cuts between 3%and 7.5% to be determined by the PSC. The rate cuts would last fouryears and then rates would be deregulated. Six utilities serveMaryland, including Allegheny Power, Baltimore Gas and Electric,Conectiv, Potomac Electric Power, Choptank Electric Cooperative,and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative.

New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed an energyderegulation bill last week, clearing the way for statewideelectric unbundling to occur by Aug. 1 and statewide, residentialgas unbundling to be in place by Dec. 31. The bill was passed bythe state’s legislature late last month (See NGI, Feb. 1).

Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed an energy deregulationbill Tuesday, clearing the way for statewide electric unbundling tooccur by Aug. 1, 1999 and statewide, residential gas unbundling byDec. 31. The bill was passed by the state’s legislature late lastmonth. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is now incharge of formulating and implementing the deregulation program.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania CEO Gary J. Robinson praised aproposal by Pennsylvania’s governor to eliminate the 5% grossreceipts tax levied on the state’s residential gas users.