Help

Following a plea by the Georgia governor to help the thousands of state consumers whose natural gas remains cut off for not paying bills, two marketers and a Georgia utility have stepped forward to fulfill the role of provider of last resort (POLR). Gov. Roy Barnes earlier this month asked the state’s Consumers Utility Counsel (CUC) to petition the Public Service Commission (PSC) because nearly 50,000 customers remain without gas after being unable to pay last winter’s unusually high bills (see Daily GPI, Nov. 12).

Following a plea by the Georgia governor to help the thousands of state consumers whose natural gas remains cut off for not paying bills, two marketers and a Georgia utility have stepped forward to fulfill the role of provider of last resort (POLR). Gov. Roy Barnes earlier this month asked the state’s Consumers Utility Counsel (CUC) to petition the Public Service Commission (PSC) because nearly 50,000 customers remain without gas after being unable to pay last winter’s unusually high bills.

The New Power Co. (TNPC) has launched the Energy Saving Center, a group of online tools to help residential consumers and small commercial businesses reduce energy usage and costs. The company said key elements of the center are the home and business analyzers. These on-line audit tools, which are free, provide a top-to-bottom analysis of energy usage, and offer specific recommendations on behavior modification and products that can save energy, the company said. The products can then be purchased through the Energy Efficient Products Online store. The Home Analyzer allows residential consumers to learn how much money people in homes similar to theirs spend on energy. They can also uncover specific energy-saving opportunities in their own homes. Using the Business Analyzer, small businesses can choose to analyze one facility or multiple sites. TNPC said the tool examines each aspect of a business’ energy use — including which appliances or systems use the most energy — and provides customized analyses, recommendations, and a means to track their progress. The Energy Saving Center can be found on www.newpower.com.

In an effort to help consumers in the state of Ohio this winter, the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) said it has requested that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) “reconsider” part of an order issued Oct. 16. The OCC claims that part of the order that oversees customers’ emergency reconnection of natural gas and electric service could leave some consumers out in the cold this winter. For 60 days, the order allows all natural gas and electric public utilities to take up to three days to reconnect certain customers currently without heat.

Driven in large part by an expected 37% increase in Aquila Energy earnings in the third quarter, UtiliCorp United said it expects to beat analysts’ expectations of 52 cents/share with earnings per share of $0.56-0.58 and net income of $66-69 million. That compared with net income last year during the same quarter of $0.80 per share or $74.9 million, which included a special $29 million gain ($0.30/share) from the initial public offering of Uecomm, Ltd. in Australia.

Driven in large part by an expected 37% increase in Aquila Energy earnings in the third quarter, UtiliCorp United said it expects to beat analysts’ expectations of 52 cents/share with earnings per share of $0.56-0.58 and net income of $66-69 million. That compared with net income last year during the same quarter of $0.80 per share or $74.9 million, which included a special $29 million gain ($0.30/share) from the initial public offering of Uecomm, Ltd. in Australia.

Conoco Inc. stepped forward this week to help lead Canada in the northern pipeline race, with CEO Archie Dunham paying a call on Calgary as his company takes possession of Gulf Canada Resources Inc. Three weeks after the C$9.8 billion (US$6.3 billion) takeover deal won Canadian government approval and closed on stock exchanges, Dunham declared bringing Mackenzie Delta gas to market to be Conoco’s “number one priority,” and said “the market needs it so we need to strike while the timing is good.”

An early test is developing of the U.S. government’s declared intentions to help speed up gas pipeline projects, and of pledges by Canadian authorities to co-operate in cross-border projects. After waiting fruitlessly for a year for U.S. partners to obtain approvals, the Canadian Millennium Project has asked the National Energy Board to give it a last chance to stay alive on the Canadian side and wait for U.S. action.

An early test is developing of the U.S. government’s declared intentions to help speed up gas pipeline projects, and of pledges by Canadian authorities to co-operate in cross-border projects. After waiting fruitlessly for a year for U.S. partners to obtain approvals, the Canadian Millennium Project has asked the National Energy Board to give it a last chance to stay alive on the Canadian side and wait for U.S. action.