March

Great Lakes Gas Transmission is holding an open season for a seasonal gas exchange between May 1, 2001 and March 31, 2002. Great Lakes proposes an agreement with a single party for the pipeline to receive about 1.7 Bcf into its system during the 2001 summer months and deliver an equivalent amount of gas back to that party during the 2001/2002 winter months. The open season ends April 23. Call Martin Wilde at (248) 205-7590 for more information.

Western legislators will be leading off one offensive of the newadministration’s energy strategy March 7, with a U.S. HouseResources Committee hearing on restrictions on exploration and gasdevelopment on public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)and their impact on power markets.

Western legislators will be leading off one offensive of the newadministration’s energy strategy March 7, with a U.S. HouseResources Committee hearing that explores restrictions on gasdevelopment on public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)and their impact on power markets.

NGPL waived the monthly net withdrawal minimums through Marchfor storage customers under Rate Schedule DSS. It also waived for2001 a requirement that 50% of DSS inventory be cycled by April 30of each year.

Four stakeholder committees set up last March by the New YorkPublic Service Commission (PSC) have identified the key roadblocksin the state’s stalled retail energy deregulation process. By nextspring, they expect to have some solutions – if it isn’t too late.

Four stakeholders committees, set up last March by the PublicService Commission (PSC), have now identified the issues in thestate of New York’s stalled retail deregulation process forelectric power and natural gas, and by next spring they expect tohave some solutions — if it isn’t too late.

TransCanada has posted short-term firm transportation servicefor November 2000 through March 2001, and is accepting bids through3 p.m. MDT today. Because TransCanada does not yet have NationalEnergy Board-approved tolls beyond the end of 2000, all of the bidsfor capacity may be adjusted for bids that extend beyond Jan. 1.

Despite his promise to the gas industry last year that he wouldn’t change the Pipeline Safety Act of 1995 (see Daily GPI, March 19, 1999), Congressman Bob Franks (R-NJ), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee — who also is running for a Senate seat in his home state — introduced a bill last week that would do just that. His legislation joined a growing stack of pipeline safety bills that have been introduced this session.

Calpine Corp.’s 500 MW Hidalgo Energy Center began commercialoperation June 14, the company said yesterday. In March, thecompany purchased a 78.5% stake in the plant, which is located inEdinburg, TX. The Brownsville Public Utilities Board holds theremaining 21.5%. Calpine operates the energy center and providesfuel management services. The center is located within one mile ofCalpine’s Magic Valley Generating Station, a 730 MW gas-firedfacility currently under construction. The Magic Valley facility isexpected to be on line in the summer of 2001. The Hidalgo plantwill sell power into the Texas wholesale market and potentiallyinto the growing energy markets of northern Mexico.