Light

Without clear fundamental or technical direction, the futuresmarket was left to follow the early lead of cash prices, which wasgenerally softer Friday. Lack of substantial liquidity was also alimiting factor during the abbreviated trading session as manytraders elected to remain on the sidelines. The March contractfinished down 3 cents at $1.807.

J.P. Morgan & Co. will handle the auction of the non-nucleargeneration assets of Connecticut Light and Power Co. (CL&P), awholly owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, headquartered inBerlin, CT. The assets to be disposed of consist of 29 powerplants. CL&P’s power purchase agreements will be auctionedseparately in the near future.

Atlanta Gas Light Co. (AGL) reached an agreement with theGeorgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) last week to return to itspre-deregulation billing methods, avoiding a Feb. 3 Commissionhearing intended to charge the utility with disregarding marketconstraints in its rate-charging practices. The utility alsoagreed to refund $14.5 million to overcharged customers. Thereformed bills and the refunds will be sent out in February.

Atlanta Gas Light Co. (AGL) reached an agreement with theGeorgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) Wednesday to return to itspre-deregulation billing methods, avoiding a Feb. 3 Commissionhearing intended to charge the utility with disregarding marketconstraints in its rate-charging practices. The utility also agreedto refund $14.5 million to overcharged customers. The reformedbills and the refunds will be sent out in February.

Atlanta Gas Light Co. (AGL) responded harshly yesterday to a report filed Tuesday by members of the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) adversary staff, heating up an already steamy debate over AGL’s rates.

Light short-covering buoyed the futures market at the openFriday, as traders exited positions ahead of the holiday weekend.However, sellers above the $1.80 level were waiting and pushed theprompt month to a lower close. The February contract slipped 1.3cents lower to close at $1.796 in Friday’s abbreviated tradingsession. The New York Mercantile Exchange will be closed Monday inobservance of Martin Luther King Day

California regulators have given the green light to continueindefinitely the three-year-old incentive gas buying program atSouthern California Gas Co., dispensing at year-end 1998 with anannual review of the program, which has even drawn praise from theusually critical Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) at theCalifornia Public Utilities Commission. The program reportedly hassaved millions of dollars for SoCalGas’ smallest customers who relyon the utility to buy their supplies. In 1998, SoCalGas reportsearning a $2 million award for its shareholders for the latest12-month operations of its so-called “Gas Cost IncentiveMechanism.” Based on benchmarked market prices if SoCalGas can dosignificantly better than the market average, resulting inquantifiable savings for its merchant customers, part of thosesavings flow back to its shareholders, who in this case are ownersof the SoCal parent, Sempra Energy. Shareholders have earned $16million in rewards through the incentive gas-purchase program overthe past three years, according to SoCalGas.

Light short-covering gently prodded the futures market higheryesterday as traders surveyed the prospect of a sizable storagewithdrawal reported in the American Gas Association’s storagereport this afternoon. The prompt February contract led all others,advancing 4.2 cents to settle at $1.821. With that small gain, themarket ended a five-day, 25-cent slide.

California regulators have given the green light to continueindefinitely the three-year-old incentive gas buying program atSouthern California Gas Co., dispensing at year-end 1998 with anannual review of the program, which has even drawn praise from theusually critical Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) at theCalifornia Public Utilities Commission. The program reportedly hassaved millions of dollars for SoCalGas’ smallest customers who relyon the utility to buy their supplies.