Rates

As part of a general rate increase Questar Gas is seeking fromthe Utah Public Service Commission, the company wants to recovercosts of supporting the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.While Questar says the Olympics increase — $500,000 per year forfour years — is only a sliver of the $22.5 million requested,consumer advocates are howling, saying it’s an unauthorized tax tosupport the games.

Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. has assigned ratings tosecurities issued by Kelvin Ltd. (Kelvin) that represent thefirst-ever securitization through the capital markets of aportfolio of weather-related risks aggregated by Koch EnergyTrading.

Removal of a 4% import tariff on natural gas July 1, new openaccess transportation rates and the likelihood that Mexico willbegin privatization of its electric industry this year are makingthe country a more attractive business target for the U.S. energyindustry, and California-based Sempra Energy is taking immediateadvantage of the opening.

Daniel L. Larcamp was appointed director of the Office ofMarkets, Tariffs and Rates at the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC). The office and position were created as part ofinternal restructuring at the Commission under the FERC Firstprogram. Larcamp has served as senior counsel and policy advisor toFERC Chairman James. J. Hoecker on electric power issues sinceAugust.

Hoping the second time is the charm, Duke subsidiary TexasEastern Transmission announced Wednesday an open season for 300,000Dth/d of firm capacity on its proposed Spectrum Pipeline project.The open season will last from May 7 to June 4.

Hoping the second time is the charm, Duke Energy announcedWednesday an open season for 300,000 Dth/d of firm capacity on itsproposed Spectrum Pipeline project. The open season will last fromMay 7 to June 4.

In an effort to capture the rewards and pass along savings madepossible by performance-based rates, NIPSCO Industries and its newaffiliate Bay State Gas are combining gas supply operations. TheMidwest and New England LDCs manage firm loads of about 500 MMcf/dand most of that will be procured on the daily spot market in thefuture, said NIPSCO’s Dan Gavito, vice president of corporate gassupply.

FERC last week upheld an administrative law judge’s partialinitial decision denying KN Interstate Gas’s (KNI) request to rollin the costs associated with the construction of its Pony ExpressLine and Kansas City Line.

FERC yesterday upheld an administrative law judge’s partialinitial decision denying KN Interstate Gas’ (KNI) request to rollin the costs associated with the construction of its Pony ExpressLine and Kansas City Line.