Louis

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh was appointed Tuesday as a special master to investigate apparent misconduct by one of the lawyers who helped manage BP plc’s $7.8 billion settlement fund with Gulf Coast plaintiffs over the deepwater Macondo well blowout in April 2010.

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (APUC) is assuming Laclede Group Inc.’s right to buy New England Gas Co. (NEG), Laclede said late Monday.

Drilling in liquids-rich corners of the Marcellus Shale and Midcontinent region helped Range Resources Corp. post record production volumes in the first quarter of the year.

St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. announced an asset transfer among several of its subsidiaries of about 550 MW in power generation, as well as some gas and electric distribution and transmission assets last week.

St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. announced an asset transfer among subsidiaries of about 550 MW in power generation, as well as some gas and electric distribution and transmission assets on Monday.

Dynegy Inc. confirmed Friday that it is in exclusive discussions with St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. to sell Illinois Power Co. (IP) for an undisclosed amount. Dynegy’s sale of the unit to Exelon Corp. fell through late last month, and Ameren said in a statement that there was no assurance that the talks would lead to an agreement or that the agreement would be completed.

In an effort to prepare for continuing weak power markets and a soft economy, St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. announced a voluntary retirement program that potentially could reduce its work force by 14%, or about 1,000 of Ameren’s 7,400 current employees. The voluntary program could be followed by an involuntary program if the voluntary retirement program isn’t enough to produce expected cost cuts and efficiencies, Ameren said.

In an effort to prepare for continuing weak power markets and a soft economy, St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. announced a voluntary retirement program that potentially could reduce its work force by 14%, or about 1,000 of Ameren’s 7,400 current employees. The voluntary program could be followed by an involuntary program if the voluntary retirement program isn’t enough to produce expected cost cuts and efficiencies, Ameren said.

St. Louis-based Laclede Gas Co. yesterday filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission to increase a portion of its general rate structure to allow it to recover increased distribution costs for its 633,000 customers in Eastern Missouri. Laclede noted that the proposal would not affect customers’ wholesale gas costs, local gross receipt tax rates or interstate pipeline and storage costs.