Received

PG&E National Energy Group last week received final regulatory approval for its 1,080 MW Athens generating facility in New York, allowing the project to begin construction so that it can deliver electricity to New York’s energy markets as early as summer 2003.

PG&E National Energy Group last week received final regulatory approval for its 1,080 MW Athens generating facility in New York, allowing the project to begin construction so that it can deliver electricity to New York’s energy markets as early as summer 2003.

CMS Trunkline Gas Co. has received FERC approval to abandon offshore facilities and facilities located in Texas and Louisiana, transferring them to its gathering affiliate, CMS Trunkline Field Services (CP97-83). A companion order voted out by the Commission at its regular meeting last Wednesday designated those facilities as gathering, rendering them exempt from the Commission’s jurisdiction under the Natural Gas Act (CP97-84).

CMS Trunkline Gas Co. has received FERC approval to abandon offshore facilities and facilities located in Texas and Louisiana, transferring them to its gathering affiliate, CMS Trunkline Field Services (CP97-83). A companion order voted out by the Commission at its regular meeting Wednesday designated those facilities as gathering, rendering them exempt from the Commission’s jurisdiction under the Natural Gas Act (CP97-84).

Trailblazer Pipeline received a final green light from FERC last week to add 324 MMcf/d of firm capacity to its existing pipeline system in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The expansion will bring the pipe’s total firm capacity to about 816 MMcf/d in July 2002. However, the Commission denied Trailblazer’s request to modify its right of first refusal process and rejected the pipeline company’s related pro forma tariff sheets. It accepted the incremental rate design of the project, however.

Trailblazer Pipeline received a final green light from FERC this week to add 324 MMcf/d of firm capacity to its existing pipeline system in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The expansion will bring the pipe’s total firm capacity to about 816 MMcf/d in July 2002. However, the Commission denied Trailblazer’s request to modify its right of first refusal process and rejected the pipeline company’s related pro forma tariff sheets. It accepted the incremental rate design of the project, however.

Idaho Power Tuesday received the go-ahead from state regulators to immediately start recovering $168.3 million of the $227.4 million requested by the utility in its annual power cost adjustment. But any decision related to the remaining $59.1 million of Idaho Power’s request won’t come until after the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) completes an investigation into several areas, including the activities of the utility’s non-regulated trading arm.

Gulfstream Natural Gas System received the first shipment of pipe for construction of its 753-mile natural gas pipeline system. The pipe was delivered to Liberty Port in Mobile, AL, and transported to a concrete weight coating facility in Theodore, AL. “This is the largest pipeline project in the Gulf of Mexico. When you see this first shipment of pipe arrive — all 23,000 tons of it — and realize we still have 12 more shipments coming, it underscores just how enormous this project really is,” said Nancy Schultz, Gulfstream senior vice president and general manager, technical functions. “It is exciting to have reached this milestone, which marks the imminent start of physical construction.” The pipe, purchased from Berg Steel Pipe Corporation in Panama City, Fla., arrived by ship from Bremen, Germany, where it was manufactured by Berg’s parent company, Europipe. Each section of 36-inch diameter pipe, with a wall thickness of up to 1.375 inches, is 40 feet in length and weighs up to eight tons. One hundred seventy two miles of 36-inch pipe will be stored in Alabama until the scheduled start of construction in June. Additional steel pipe manufactured at Berg’s pipe mill in Panama City, Fla., is scheduled to be delivered to Port Manatee, Fla., on May 28. The pipeline is sponsored by Williams and Duke Energy and was approved by FERC in February. It will extend from Mississippi and Alabama across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida.

Gulfstream Natural Gas System received the first shipment of pipe for construction of its 753-mile natural gas pipeline system. The pipe was delivered to Liberty Port in Mobile, AL, and transported to a concrete weight coating facility in Theodore, AL. “This is the largest pipeline project in the Gulf of Mexico. When you see this first shipment of pipe arrive — all 23,000 tons of it — and realize we still have 12 more shipments coming, it underscores just how enormous this project really is,” said Nancy Schultz, Gulfstream senior vice president and general manager, technical functions. “It is exciting to have reached this milestone, which marks the imminent start of physical construction.” The pipe, purchased from Berg Steel Pipe Corporation in Panama City, Fla., arrived by ship from Bremen, Germany, where it was manufactured by Berg’s parent company, Europipe. Each section of 36-inch diameter pipe, with a wall thickness of up to 1.375 inches, is 40 feet in length and weighs up to eight tons. One hundred seventy two miles of 36-inch pipe will be stored in Alabama until the scheduled start of construction in June. Additional steel pipe manufactured at Berg’s pipe mill in Panama City, Fla., is scheduled to be delivered to Port Manatee, Fla., on May 28. The pipeline is sponsored by Williams and Duke Energy and was approved by FERC in February. It will extend from Mississippi and Alabama across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida.