Marketers

A new study released earlier this week by the National EnergyMarketers Association (NEM), found that deregulating energy marketsare more competitive when incumbent utilities are not the defaultsupplier and the service charge billed to customers is “truly”representative of retail service.

A group of producers and marketers said it backs the “general[policy] objectives” on offshore regulation that were espoused byEnergy Secretary Bill Richardson in a letter to FERC last month,but stresses that debate over the “key issue” of the jurisdictionalstatus of offshore natural gas pipelines involves “a legal, not apolicy” matter.

A group of producers and marketers said it backs the “general[policy] objectives” on offshore regulation that were espoused lastmonth by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson in a letter to FERC, butstresses that debate over the “key issue” of the jurisdictionalstatus of offshore natural gas pipelines involves “a legal, not apolicy” matter.

The states’ practice of mandating the assignment of LDC-heldupstream capacity to marketers as an “express condition” toallowing them or their customers access to an unbundled natural gasmarketplace flies in the face of antitrust laws and FERC’s gasrestructuring rule, contends Enron Corp.’s marketing arm.

The states’ practice of mandating the assignment of LDC-heldupstream capacity to marketers as an “express condition” toallowing them or their customers access to an unbundled natural gasmarketplace flies in the face of antitrust laws and FERC’s gasrestructuring rule, contends Enron Corp.’s marketing arm.

Avista Energy, a Washington Water Power (WWP) affiliate,continued its expansion onslaught Thursday by announcing that itacquired Vitol Gas and Electric LLC, a full service energy marketerserving the eastern U.S. Terms of the agreement were not madepublic. The deal is expected to close in early 1999.

Demonstrating the growing relationship between marketers andmunicipal gas companies, USX Corp. subsidiary Marathon Oil Co.(Marathon) announced a $52.8 million agreement last week to supplyover 31 Bcf of firm natural gas to the Public Energy Authority ofKentucky (PEAK) for 10 years. Effective Nov. 1, Marathon willprovide gas for PEAK through the Texas Gas Transmission pipelinesystem.

In a type of deal that is becoming increasingly popular amongmarketers selling to public entities, Aquila Energy has signed tosupply 91 Bcf over 12 years to municipal members of the NebraskaPublic Gas Agency (NPGA) for an advance payment of $162 million.

In a type of deal that is becoming increasingly popular amongmarketers selling to public entities, Aquila Energy has signed tosupply 91 Bcf over 12 years to municipal members of the NebraskaPublic Gas Agency for an advance payment of $162 million.