Million

NRG Energy Inc. plans to spend $658 million to acquire fourcombined cycle power projects with a total capacity of 5,961 MWfrom LS Power LLC, an independent power producer headquartered inEast Brunswick, NJ. The agreement also gives the Minneapolis-basedNRG the opportunity to acquire ownership in the next 3,000 MW ofgeneration offered by LS Power and its partners.

The Transco pipeline system’s capacity has increased by 204,099Dth/d with the start-up of the SouthCoast Expansion project. The$108 million expansion provides additional firm transportationcapacity to gas markets in Alabama and Georgia

Montana Power Co. is no longer in the oil and gas business,after closing the sale of some of its energy assets to PanCanadianPetroleum Ltd. for $475 million in a combination of cash andcredit. The assets include oil, natural gas and gas liquidsexploration, production and marketing companies in the UnitedStates and Canada.

El Paso Energy Corp. is closer to acquiring PG&E Corp.’sTexas gathering and liquids businesses for about $840 million instock and debt after signing a consent agreement earlier this week.The deal includes 8,500 miles of natural gas transmission pipelinesthat transport about 2.8 Bcf/d, nine processing plants that process1.5 Bcf/d, and a 7.2 Bcf natural gas storage field.

San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp. announced Monday it has boughtthe rights to build, own and operate a $510 million, 850 MW naturalgas-fired electric generating plant along the Ohio River inHamilton Township, Lawrence County, OH. The plant, called theLawrence Energy Center, is targeted for starting operations in2004.

After agreeing to unload its electric subsidiary last week to Orion Power Holdings for about $200 million plus the assumption of debt, Columbia Energy Group announced that it has found a buyer for its electric subsidiary’s interests in four power generation Qualifying Facilities (QF). The interests, which were excluded from the Orion deal, will be sold to a partnership between Morristown, NJ,-based Delta Power Co. and John Hancock Life Insurance for an undisclosed amount (see NGI, Oct. 9).

After agreeing to unload its electric subsidiary last week to OrionPower Holdings for about $200 million plus the assumption of debt,Columbia Energy Group announced that it has found a buyer for itselectric subsidiary’s interests in four power generation QualifyingFacilities (QF). The interests, which were excluded from the Oriondeal, will be sold to a partnership between Morristown, NJ,-basedDelta Power Co. and John Hancock Life Insurance for an undisclosedamount (see Daily GPI, Oct. 3).

Austin, TX-based Green Mountain Energy has received aninvestment of $53.5 million to fund its growth in marketing cleanerenergy sources in deregulated markets in the United States. Oddlyenough, the investment will come overseas from Nuon, the largestutility in the Netherlands and a leading provider of green energyin Europe.

AGL Resources Inc. has closed on its $533 million acquisition ofVirginia Natural Gas, more than two months ahead of schedule andprior to the start of the winter heating season.