Placing

While some may argue that California’s energy woes offer a prime reason for placing the electric competition genie firmly back in its bottle, a recent case study by a global consulting group asserts that California’s energy difficulties mask the fact that other power markets in the United States are not only surviving, but thriving, with the PJM market serving as the perfect example.

While some may argue that California’s energy woes offer a prime reason for placing the electric competition genie firmly back in its bottle, a recent case study by a global consulting group asserts that California’s energy difficulties mask the fact that other power markets in the United States are not only surviving, but thriving, with the PJM market serving as the perfect example.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline said last week that it isplacing into service about 220,000 MMBtu/d of capacity on two newlaterals. The company opened the valves on the Halifax Lateral lastweek and was close to doing the same on the Saint John lateral.

Placing another brick in the apparent Chinese wall against Wisconsin pipeline challengers, ANR Pipeline Co. (ANR) executed agreements with the state’s Madison Gas and Electric Co. (MGE) to extend gas transportation and storage services that were to expire over the next four years. The agreements are subject to approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

Texas Eastern’s 300 MMcf/d Lebanon Lateral expansion wasapproved by FERC this week with a few conditions, including placingthe pipeline at risk for the cost of unused capacity on the line.The project would add 17,070 hp of compression to the 114-mileline, which stretches from an interconnection with PanhandleEastern near Gas City, IN, to interconnections with Tetco, CNGTransmission and Columbia gas at Lebanon, OH. Total capacity of thesystem following the expansion would be about 660 MMcf/d. Threeshippers, including Dayton Power and Light, Duke Energy and PublicService Electric and Gas signed up for 28% of the proposedcapacity.

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.