Receives

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a preliminary determination on non-environmental issues to the Islander East Pipeline Co. LLC to build a 40-mile pipeline that will bring natural gas from Connecticut to Long Island, NY.

Almost a month after receiving FERC approval for its 75-mile Main Line No. 4 expansion/extension in Utah, Questar Pipeline reported last week it has cleared the final regulatory hurdles necessary to begin construction. The proposed facilities would transport to western markets the growing coal-seam natural gas production near Price, UT, and the volumes delivered to Questar from Colorado Interstate Gas’ (CIG) Uinta Basin Lateral at Natural Buttes.

Moving a large step closer to completion, the merger plan between Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc. and National Grid Group plc. received approval from the New York Public Service Commission. The union is expected to result in Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.’s electricity customers saving about $1 billion over the next 10 years, compared with rates projected without the merger.

Almost a month after receiving approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its 75-mile Main Line No. 4 natural gas pipeline in Utah, Questar Pipeline, a subsidiary of Questar Corp., reported on Tuesday that it has cleared the final regulatory hurdles necessary to begin construction. The proposed facilities would transport to western markets the growing coal-seam natural gas production near Price, UT, and the volumes delivered to Questar from Colorado Interstate Gas’ (CIG) Uinta Basin Lateral at Natural Buttes.

Clearing an important milestone in its plans to acquire Westcoast Energy, Duke Energy announced it had received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to acquire indirect control of the public utilities owned wholly or in part by Westcoast and regulated by the BCUC.

As the winter season approaches, Cascade Natural Gas Corp. Friday reported that it has received approval from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) for its purchased gas cost adjustment, as well as its amortization of under-recovered gas cost from last winter’s filings.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has indicated that it will work with natural gas utilities and pipelines to strengthen the industry’s infrastructure and enhance reliability through a $10 million program contained in a FY 2002 spending bill, the American Gas Association said last week. The group added that the bill is nearing final approval in Congress.

The American Gas Association (AGA) said on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has indicated that it will work with natural gas utilities and pipelines to strengthen the industry’s infrastructure and enhance reliability through a $10 million program contained in a FY 2002 spending bill. The group added that the bill is nearing final approval in Congress.

Over two-and-a-half years after the project was announced, Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC received FERC approval last week to begin mainline pipeline construction in Florida. With this approval, Gulfstream said it now has all major segments of its 753-mile pipeline project under construction and on schedule to deliver natural gas by June 2002.