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New Century Energies and Northern States Power said they havefiled, or are expected to file later this week, merger applicationswith state regulators in Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Texas, NewMexico, Kansas and North Dakota and with FERC. Other filings withadditional state and federal regulators will follow. NCE and NSPshareholders approved the merger on June 28. The proposedcombination, to be called Xcel Energy, will serve three millionelectricity customers and 1.5 million natural gas customers in 12states.

Two major engine manufacturers have formed a “virtual company”to cash in on the emerging retail market for electricity in NorthAmerica.

Two producers-Husky Oil Ltd. and Renaissance Energy Ltd.- havejumped into the ranks of top 10 Canadian suppliers of natural gasto the United States, according to a scorecard kept by the U.S.Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy.

Two producers-Husky Oil Ltd. and Renaissance Energy Ltd.-havejumped into the ranks of top 10 Canadian suppliers of natural gasto the United States, says a scorecard kept by the U.S. Departmentof Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy.

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.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker said the Commission will open anew office, called the Office of Energy Projects, which will havethe engineering and environmental expertise to certificate new gaspipelines and authorize and monitor hydroelectric projects. The newoffice will include the functions formerly conducted by the Officeof Hydropower Licensing and most of the certification functions ofthe Office of Pipeline Regulation. Another new office, the Officeof Markets, Tariffs and Rates (OMTR), also will handle some of thecertification duties. “Energy Projects and Markets, Tariffs andRates effectively represent two major and distinct areas of theCommission’s technical expertise and statutory responsibility,”Hoecker said, adding that Energy Projects will focus on siting andenvironmental aspects of projects while OMTR will focus onpromoting competition and protecting against market power.

El Paso will have the “B” Plant at Williams (AZ) Station downfor maintenance June 21-23, reduing North Mainline capacity in SanJuan Basin by 100 MMcf/d. From June 28 through July 7, individualWilliams “B” compressors will be off-line, cutting North Mainlinecapacity by 25 MMcf/d June 28-July 2 and by 40 MMcf/d July 3-7.

Working gas levels in storage at the end of the winter heatingseason have been revised by the Energy Information Administration(EIA) after a report from ANR Pipeline that 47 Bcf of working gasin its Michigan storage facilities was reclassified as base gas.The change means working gas levels at the end of the winterheating season were 3% lower than first reported by the EIA, or1,430 Bcf compared to 1,477 Bcf.

Many market prognosticators have realized recently that theirgas price projections are quite a bit too low for the rest of theyear because of declining gas wellhead deliverability, a reducedstorage surplus relative to last year and ever increasing gasdemand. The Energy Information Administration joined that crowdlast week, raising its wellhead price forecast for the fourthquarter 25 cents to $2.41/Mcf.