Issued

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order lateFriday authorizing the California ISO on an interim basis to”reject bids in excess of whatever price levels it believes areappropriate for Regulation, Spinning Reserve, Non-Spinning Reserveand Replacement Reserve. The price levels could be based on costs,market or any factor the ISO determines will attract sufficientbids into the markets.”

Connecticut regulators last week issued a draft decision thattakes a mid-course review of commercial and industrial natural gasunbundling in an effort to fine-tune the state’s two-year-oldprogram. The draft also was seen as a “first step” towards possiblyachieving customer choice in the state’s residential gas marketdown the road.

Boston Edison issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bidsfor about 2,000 MW of electricity to replace power now supplied bySithe Energies from plants Sithe recently bought from BostonEdison. The short-term power purchase agreement with Sithe expiresNov. 30. The power purchased through this competitive biddingprocess, combined with power from the Pilgrim nuclear plant andother power supply contracts, will be used to meet Edison’s needsDec. 1 through May 31, 1999. Proposals must be submitted by Aug. 3.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) issued rulesThursday to give Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) customers supplier choice.Georgia will be the first state in the nation to fully open the gasmarket to competition at the residential level.

The Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) issued a complaint and offerof settlement to Mitchell Energy & Development alleging pasttechnical violations of drilling and completion rules. Thecomplaint involves 112 wells, all of which were drilled more than35 years ago. The TRC said the actual depth of the surface casingset in each well was shorter than the depth required by andreported to the commission. Mitchell said there is no evidence ofpollution from the wells.

Texas Utilities Co. Tuesday acquired 72,560,178 Energy GroupShares at 840 pence/share, representing about 13.9% of The EnergyGroup’s issued share capital. The 840 pence/share offer was thelatest in the bidding war between TXU and PacifiCorp for theBritish Utility.

Florida Gas Transmission said Thursday it was experiencing”extremely high” linepack and that Operational Flow Orders would beissued to customers taking less than scheduled volumes. Otheroperational tools such as an Alert Day notice were also beingconsidered, the pipeline said.