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In what was said to be a message for Wall Street rather thanstate energy regulators, PG&E Corp. announced Monday that itssecond quarter results due out July 21 will be lower-than-expectedbecause of continuing delays in getting a decision on its pendinggeneral rate case before the California Public UtilitiesCommission. The company made a similar announcement near the end ofthe first quarter.

BT Alex. Brown analyst Adam Sieminski said he expects U.S. gasprices to average $2.10/MMBtu this year, which is up 15 cents fromhis previous forecast of $1.95/MMBtu, because of rising demand,declining wellhead deliverability and the falling storage surpluscompared to last year. Sieminski said the tightness in marketfundamentals will peak this winter and carry strong prices throughnext year. He raised his forecast for prices in 2000 to $2.40 froma previous estimate of $2.20.

“Fundamentals are bearish, technicals are bullish, and today[Tuesday] the bulls beat the [socks off] of the bears.” Rather thandescribing a pro sports encounter between two Chicago teams, aHouston-based aggregator was summing up his view of the physicaland futures gas markets. Led by a soaring screen that dazzledobservers with its pyrotechnics (“this is crazy,” exclaimed onemarketer), cash prices were rising by a dime or more at nearly allpoints in the face of continuing widespread mild temperatures.

Convergence of gas and electricity is no longer a trend on thehorizon but rather the law of the land. Anyone doubting this needonly look at who the big players are in both commodities, notedKenneth D. Rice, CEO of Enron Capital & Trade Resources (ECT).

If legislators and energy regulators aren’t careful, theelectricity industry could end up as a deregulated monopoly ratherthan one that offers customers real choice, representatives of keyelectricity trade groups warned last week.