Laying

Laying out a list of what he says still needs to be done in order to bolster demand response (DR) in the U.S., FERC Chairman Patrick Wood said that in planning, DR “should be considered to be an equal resource” with generation and transmission.

FERC last week issued orders laying the groundwork for expanded probes into potential market power-related issues for Entergy Corp. and Southern Co. The decisions drew partial dissents from FERC Commissioner Joseph Kelliher.

Duke Energy mounted a public defense of its investment-grade credit ratings on Tuesday by laying out the details of a three-year plan (2003-2005) to sell off billions of dollars in non-core assets, cut capital expenditures and pay down as much as $5.5 billion in debt over the period.

East Tennessee Natural Gas has started laying pipe for its 510,000 Dth/d Patriot Extension into North Carolina. The $298 million extension-expansion project will boost East Tennessee’s existing design capacity of 700,000 Dth/d to more than 1.2 Bcf/d. Service is expected to begin in August or September with capacity increases due in November 2003 and in January 2005.

East Tennessee Natural Gas has started laying pipe for its 510,000 Dth/d Patriot Extension into North Carolina. The $298 million extension-expansion project will boost East Tennessee’s existing design capacity of 700,000 Dth/d to more than 1.2 Bcf/d. Service is expected to begin in August or September with capacity increases due in November 2003 and in January 2005.

Marathon Oil Co. and TotalFinaElf have set new world water-depth records for producing wells and laying pipelines, respectively, both at 7,209 feet below the surface, according to Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). This exceeds the previous deepwater production record by about 100 feet, which was set by the French energy concern, TotalFinaElf, two months ago in the Aconcagua field in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marathon Oil Co. and TotalFinaElf have set new world water-depth records for producing wells and laying pipelines, respectively, both at 7,209 feet below the surface, according to Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). This exceeds the previous deepwater production record by about 100 feet, which was set by the French energy concern, TotalFinaElf, two months ago in the Aconcagua field in the Gulf of Mexico.

A recent comprehensive mitigation plan filed by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) at FERC, laying out the grid operator’s plan of attack for curbing market power in the state, has met with a rather chilly reception from generators and power marketers. They worry that the latest proposal by the NYISO could hamper the development of competitive electricity markets in New York.

The optimists are turning out to be right as Canadian naturalgas exports to the United States continue to climb, laying to restpessimistic productivity forecasts a year ago.