Northern

Pacific Gas and Electric started its second auction of electricgenerating plants in Northern California, placing four gas-firedpower plants and the company’s geothermal facilities on the blockthis week. The auctions are in support of California’s move towardfull competition in the energy utility industry.

Enough cold weather was either arriving or developing Tuesday inthe northern and western regions of the U.S. to arrest, at leasttemporarily, the mild price slide that had begun the week. For achange there was remarkable cross-market consistency in thatvirtually all points traded flat to up or down a couple of cents.