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A group of Wisconsin distributors say FERC should resort to amandatory auction of short-term capacity only as a last measure -after it has implemented and weighed the effects of its otherproposed initiatives, such as increased pipeline reportingrequirements, and finds they failed to achieve a similarcompetitive end.

Equitable Resources revealed its 1999 capital budget Monday,demonstrating its dedication to focusing on only its coreAppalachia production and gas utility businesses. Equitable’s 1999spending plan for its four main divisions, Equitable Production,Utilities, Services, and its corporate group, adds up to $119million, representing a $64 million decrease from 1998. Theproduction unit was allocated 54% of the budget, down 21% from theyear before.

Surprising even itself, Consumers Energy announced last weekthat in only eight months of the Gas Customer Choice program,100,000 of its customers switched to an alternate supplier,reaching the limit for the first year of the plan. Out of the 10suppliers vying for Consumers’ market, Sempra Energy affiliateEnergy America-Michigan topped the list by signing 90% of theenrollments, a Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC)spokesperson said.

A comprehensive report on gas unbundling released by the U.S.General Accounting Office found that as of July 31 of this yearonly about 3.9% of the of the residential gas customers eligible tobuy gas from suppliers other than their regulated gas utility weredoing so. Roughly 553,000 residential gas users behind thecitygates of 43 gas utilities in 16 states were participating incustomer choice programs. Commercial participation levels were notavailable. The report, titled Energy Deregulation: Status ofNatural Gas Customer Choice Programs, was requested by Sens. JeffBingaman (D-NM) and Dale L. Bumpers (D-AK).

A comprehensive report on gas unbundling released by the U.S.General Accounting Office found that as of July 31 of this yearonly about 3.9% of the of the residential gas customers eligible tobuy gas from suppliers other than their regulated gas utility weredoing so. Roughly 553,000 residential gas users behind thecitygates of 43 gas utilities in 16 states were participating incustomer choice programs. Commercial participation levels were notavailable. The report, titled Energy Deregulation: Status ofNatural Gas Customer Choice Programs, was requested by Sens. JeffBingaman (D-NM) and Dale L. Bumpers (D-AK).

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its Annual EnergyOutlook 1999 released Tuesday is forecasting only a gradual 0.8%average annual rise in natural gas wellhead prices through 2020.Prices will go from $2.23/Mcf in 1997 to $2.68 in 23 years later.

Only five of a possible 19 marketers are making deliveries toabout 16,000 out of 1.4 million customers of Atlanta Gas Light thismonth, but it’s a start in the LDC’s state-approved plan to workits way out of the regulated merchant business.

Dynegy Inc. is the only gas-related company so far to publiclypropose an alternative to FERC’s notice of proposed rulemaking(NOPR) that seeks to institute industry-wide auctioning ofshort-term capacity in return for lifting the price cap on thatcapacity. “There’s nothing else that’s been made public,” saidPeter G. Esposito, vice president and regulatory counsel.

At the end of a week that had mostly signaled price softness,the bottom fell out in the cash market Friday as quotes plummetedby 20 cents or so at nearly all Eastern points. Much like thepreceding days, many Western points proved a bit more resistant tothe overall softness. California border points fell a dime, anddrops on Rockies pipes were mostly in the low to mid teens.