Preparing

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is preparing legislation that wouldcall for a price cap to be imposed on wholesale electricitytransactions in the western region during emergency situations, anaide to the senator said.

NiSource Inc. is losing no time in preparing for the expectedNov. 1 completion of its Columbia Energy acquisition, announcingThursday that about 5% or 800 of the employees of the two companieshave been notified their positions will be eliminated Dec. 1.

From coast to coast, utilities and local distribution companies(LDCs) are preparing for the peak natural gas-usage season thiswinter by filing rate hikes with regulators, and bracing theircustomers for inflated gas prices that are still to come.

From coast to coast, utilities and local distribution companies(LDCs) are preparing for the peak natural gas-usage season thiswinter by filing rate hikes with regulators, and bracing theircustomers for inflated gas prices that are still to come.

After a two-year delay because of computer snafus related tobilling, East Ohio Gas finally is preparing to join the state’s twoother major gas distribution companies in offering customer choiceacross its entire system. It also has agreed to stop sellingnatural gas entirely by 2004.

After a two-year delay because of computer snafus related tobilling, East Ohio Gas finally is preparing to join the state’s twoother major gas distribution companies in offering customer choiceacross its entire system. It also has agreed to stop sellingnatural gas entirely by 2004.

PowerSpring Inc. is preparing to muscle its way into the virtualmarketplace next month, offering commercial and industrial energyusers an online shopping area to take better advantage ofderegulation. Officials last week touted the launch of its newInternet site, www.powerspring.com, promising energy users the “bigplayer” benefits of deregulation – market clout and savings.Through its website, PowerSpring plans to manage energy use for itscustomers by using aggregated customer demand, an online auctionand customized reports. Sidney Hinton was named president and CEOof PowerSpring at the launch last week, which coincided with parentcompany Metretek’s annual shareholder meeting in Denver. The newcompany was first announced last month (see NGI, April 17).”PowerSpring has the potential to revolutionize the purchase andmanagement of energy among an ever-growing universe of commercialenergy users,” Hinton said. PowerSpring’s virtual energymarketplace, designed by e-business partner Scient, will offer asingle source for purchasing and managing energy, with customersreceiving one consolidated bill. Initially, the service will onlybe available to commercial and industrial natural gas users,however, as deregulation grows, PowerSpring plans to expand thecoverage area.

PowerSpring Inc. is preparing to muscle its way into the virtualmarketplace next month, offering commercial and industrial energyusers an online shopping area to take better advantage ofderegulation. Officials yesterday touted the launch of its newInternet site, www.powerspring.com, promising energy users the “bigplayer” benefits of deregulation – market clout and savings.Through its website, PowerSpring plans to manage energy use for itscustomers by using aggregated customer demand, an online auctionand customized reports.

Preparing to say farewell to the retail side of its business,Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) announced yesterday it will refund $34million to its former retail customers. The $26 per customer refundwill be issued by the 13 marketers in AGL’s service territoryduring the May/June billing cycle. It will be noted on customers’bills as a “GA PSC Ordered Credit,” which will be deducted from thetotal amount owed for service for the particular billing period.