Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) said it is conducting an openseason through April 30 for another expansion project, its Phase Vexpansion, which is designed as an alternative to two majorGulf-crossing pipeline competitors, the Buccaneer and Gulfstreampipelines, proposed by Williams and Coastal, respectively.
News
Articles from News
East Tennessee Seeking Interest in Expansion
East Tennessee Natural Gas, a unit of Houston-based El PasoEnergy, is holding an open season for incremental capacity alongits mainline in Tennessee and Virginia. The proposed expansionwould entail construction of mainline pipeline, compression andrelated facilities. Service is targeted to begin Nov. 1, 2000.
Colorado Unbundling Bill Awaits House Vote
Legislation prescribing voluntary unbundling of Colorado’s gasdistribution industry has now gone to a state House appropriationscommittee. The sponsor of SB 153, Sen. David T. Owen, said heexpects it to pass with little or no trouble. Unlike legislationthat unbundled Georgia’s gas industry, the Colorado legislationdoes not delve into specifics of unbundling but rather leaves themup to the state Public Utility Commission (PUC).
Edison International Buying ComEd Power Plants for $5 B
Edison International’s wholly-owned independent power subsidiarywill acquire all the fossil-fuel generating assets of CommonwealthEdison. The company will pay about $5 billion for a package of coaland gas-fired plants with total capacity of 9,772 megawatts (MW).Edison Mission Energy has also committed to build 500 MW ofgas-fired generating capacity in Chicago.
Producers: OCS Jurisdiction Turns on Legal Issue
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.
PennzEnergy, Sonat Form New Mexico Joint Venture
PennzEnergy Co. and Sonat Exploration Co. formed a joint ventureto develop mineral interests underlain by coal bed methane at the700,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico.PennzEnergy has held the bulk of the mineral rights since 1970.
New Mexico Opening to Electric Competition
The New Mexico Legislature passed a bill opening the state’sretail electric power market to competing suppliers beginning in2001. The bill, passed unanimously by the state House ofRepresentatives late Friday night, now goes to Gov. Gary Johnson,who has 20 days to sign it into law.
INGAA, EEI Back Conference on Northeast Gas Demand
The leaders of a major pipeline association and a key electricutility group jointly have expressed their support for FERC toconvene a conference “in the near future” to assess post-2000natural gas demand in the Northeast and the need for new pipelinecapacity to serve customers, particularly power generators, in thatmarket. Meanwhile, a new study sees no need for new capacity to theNortheast until 2004 (See related story this issue).
Compromise is Key for PA Deregulation Bill
Despite severe reservations from powerful marketers, such asEnron and Shell Energy Services, SB 601 was introduced to thePennsylvania legislature last week, moving residential and smallcommercial gas customers one step closer to gas supply choice. Thenext step for the bill, which supporters said was the result of aworking collaborative of marketers, LDCs, and the PennsylvaniaPublic Utilities Commission (PUC), will come March 23, when theSenate Consumer Protection committee will hold a hearing on thebill.
PNM Buying Stock, Rate Cut Rejected
Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) said it embarked on a$17.3 million stock repurchase plan last week after announcing theNew Mexico Supreme Court rejected a $112 million rate cut imposedby the state’s outgoing Public Utility Commission (PUC) late lastyear.