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In accordance with Ohio’s electric industry competitionlegislation, Cinergy’s Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. (CG&E)filed its transition plan with the Public Utilities Commission ofOhio (PUCO) yesterday. The plan extends a six-year rate freeze foranother six years, but also requests that the utility recover itsstranded costs through the frozen rates. Overall, the utility,which serves 650,000 electric customers in southwestern Ohio, saidthe plan would cause a $77 million reduction on residentialcustomers’ bills. The new law requires PUCO to rule on the plan byOctober 31.

Duquesne Light Co. of Pittsburgh, a DQE subsidiary, filed withthe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to transfer itsgeneration fleet to Baltimore-based Orion Power Holdings Inc., thewinning bidder in a previous generation auction. Orion will payDuquesne Light $1.705 billion for seven wholly owned fossil-firedgeneration stations, certain transmission facilities, and the rightand obligation to supply wholesale power to serve Duquesne’sprovider of last resort customers. As a result, Duquesne will endstranded cost collection in 2001 for most major customer rateclasses, reducing rates by more than 25%, assuming market pricesfor electricity remain at or below the commission-approved shoppingcredits.

The Maryland Public Service Commission approved Potomac ElectricPower Co.’s (Pepco) plan to sell its power plants and usher incustomer choice of suppliers beginning July 1.

CMP Natural Gas (CMPNG) got less than it hoped for out of a recent Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) decision which allowed the LDC to serve both a 540 MW power plant in Westbrook, ME, and an electric municipality in Gorham ME, but not general customers in Westbrook. The decision was passed down earlier this month. CMPNG is a joint venture between Energy East and Central Maine Power Group.

CMP Natural Gas (CMPNG) got less than it hoped for out of a recent Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) decision which allowed the LDC to serve both a 540 MW power plant in Westbrook, ME and an electric municipality in Gorham ME, but not general customers in Westbrook. The decision was passed down earlier this month. CMPNG is a joint venture between Energy East and Central Maine Power Group.

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) gave itsblessing yesterday to the proposed purchase of UtiliCorp United’s WestVirginia Power division by Allegheny Power, the energy deliverycompany of Allegheny Energy Inc. The $75 million purchase wasannounced last September (see Daily GPI, Sept. 10).Before completion, the Security and ExchangeCommission still must give its approval. Allegheny expects this to bedone later this month. The purchase has already received the go-aheadfrom the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal TradeCommission.

Gas restructuring filings made last week with the PennsylvaniaPublic Utility Commission by Penn Fuel Gas and PECO Energy Co. haveset the stage for only the fourth state in the country to providestatewide access to the retail gas market. Out of the 22 stateswith gas utilities employing pilot programs, only New Mexico, WestVirginia and New York allow gas customers statewide to choose theirgas suppliers so far. Pennsylvania regulators now say statewideunbundling will occur by July.

Columbia Gas of Ohio and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio(PUCO) announced a renewed rate freeze last week that Columbia saidwill pave the way for its popular customer choice program tocontinue until 2004. The agreement, which the company said modifiedand extended a five-year deal struck in 1994, was negotiated byColumbia, the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel (OCC), natural gas marketersand a coalition of Columbia customer groups.

Gas restructuring filings made this week with the PennsylvaniaPublic Utility Commission by Penn Fuel Gas, Carnegie Natural andPECO Energy Co. have set the stage for only the fourth state in thecountry to provide statewide access to the retail gas market. Outof the 22 states with gas utilities employing pilot programs, onlyNew Mexico, West Virginia and New York allow gas customersstatewide to choose their gas suppliers so far. Pennsylvaniaregulators now say statewide unbundling will occur by July.