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Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) has advised FERC that marketersEnron North America Corp. and Dynegy Marketing and Trade havedropped out of its Phase V expansion project in the wake of aFlorida Supreme Court decision in April that dealt a serious blowto the development of merchant power in the state.

Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) advised FERC last week thatmarketers Enron North America Corp. and Dynegy Marketing and Tradehave dropped out of its Phase V expansion project in the wake of aFlorida Supreme Court decision in April that dealt a serious blowto the development of merchant power in the state.

ONEOK broke ground Friday just north of Oklahoma City on a newnatural gas-run advanced electricity generating plant.The 300 MWplant, which will be owned and operated by ONEOK Power Marketing,will use the latest gas turbine technology to provide electricityfor utilities as well as other purchasers. This marks ONEOK’sfirst venture into the growing natural gas-powered electricitygeneration market. Intended as a “peaking plant,” the facilitywill provide electricity during the summer periods of peak demand.The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority has already signed acontract to purchase 25% of the plant’s total capacity. ONEOKPresident and Chief Operating Officer David Kyle had this to sayabout ONEOK’s new project, “The natural gas-fueled plant that willbe built here is symbolic of not only a new direction for us, butfor the state as well.” The plant’s site is strategicallypositioned near Oklahoma Gas & Electric’s electric transmissionlines and one of ONEOK’s own natural gas storage facilities. Thegas-burning turbines will be provided by General Electric at anestimated cost of $70 million and will be in operation by thesummer of 2001.

Storage operators aren’t being left behind as the industryprepares for rapid gas demand growth. NGI’s new survey and map ofNorth America’s gas storage operations shows new storage fields andexpansions cropping up all over the continent, and according to anew study by the Gas Research Institute, this is only the beginningof what will be needed as gas demand grows beyond 30 Tcf/year.

Natural gas storage operators aren’t being left behind as theindustry prepares for rapid gas demand growth. NGI’s new survey andmap of North America’s gas storage operations shows new storagefields and expansions cropping up all over the continent, andaccording to a new study by the Gas Research Institute this is onlythe beginning of what will be needed as gas demand grows beyond 30Tcf/year.

Duke Energy North America (DENA) announced the start ofconstruction of three new merchant generation projects totaling1,500 MW. At full capacity, each plant will burn about 3,300MMBtu/hour. In a fourth deal, DENA announced the sale of itsremaining 78.5% interest in the 500 MW Hidalgo Energy Facility toan affiliate of Calpine Corp. for $235 million.

Duke Energy North America (DENA) announced the start ofconstruction of three new merchant generation projects totaling1,500 MW. At full capacity, each plant will burn about 3,300MMBtu/hour. In a fourth deal, DENA announced the sale of itsremaining 78.5% interest in the 500 MW Hidalgo Energy Facility toan affiliate of Calpine Corp. for $235 million.

Foiled in its bid to sell 1.25 Bcf/d of capacity to Enron NorthAmerica, El Paso Natural Gas announced late yesterday the capacityhad been won in a rebid by affiliate, El Paso Merchant Energy-GasL.P. for $38.5 million.

Citing cold weather and operational conditions, MRT issued anOFO Wednesday. All IT and AOR (Authorized Overrun) volumes flowingnorth of the Glendale (AR) Station on the Main Line wereinterrupted. Affected customers should re-source their Main Linesupplies to the East Line or take their Main Line IT and/or AORreceipts to zero, MRT said.