Receives

It appears the Guardian Pipeline project received what it wantedfor the holidays afterall, even though it came a week or two late.The pipeline announced yesterday that it has cleared one of thelarger regulatory hurdles, as the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC) Staff issued a Final Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) on the project, deeming the construction andoperation of the 149-mile natural gas pipeline from Joliet, IL, toIxonia, WI, as an acceptable environmental action.

The North Baja Pipeline Project moved to within one step of becoming reality late last week as Mexico’s Comision Reguladora de Energia (CRE) issued a natural gas transportation permit to Sempra Energy International for the construction of the 135-mile Mexican segment of the $230 million, 215-mile Arizona-to-Mexico pipeline.

The North Baja Pipeline Project moved to within one step ofbecoming reality yesterday as Mexico’s Comision Reguladora deEnergia (CRE) issued a natural gas transportation permit to SempraEnergy International for the construction of the 135-mile Mexicansegment of the $230 million, 215-mile Arizona to Mexico pipeline.

The FPL Group/Entergy Corp. union came another step closer tofinality last week as each company’s shareholders overwhelminglyapproved the merger in separate meetings on Friday. The mergerwould result in one of the largest, strongest and cleanest powercompanies in the nation.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) followed its ownprecedent set in early October in rulings involving three otherstate utilities by granting South Jersey Gas last week almost halfof the Levelized Gas Adjustment Clause increase it requested tomeet higher wholesale natural gas prices. The utility hadpetitioned for a 39.7% rate increase, but the board granted thecompany a 19% annual raise.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) followed its ownprecedent that it had set back in early October with three otherstate utilities by granting South Jersey Gas almost half of theLevelized Gas Adjustment Clause increase it had petitioned for tomeet higher wholesale natural gas prices. The utility hadpetitioned for a 39.7% rate increase, but the board granted thecompany a 19% annual raise.

Saying that the merger was in the best interest of the public, theOregon Public Utility Commission yesterday approved Sierra PacificResources’ application to acquire Portland General Electric(PGE). Sierra Pacific last year announced it would acquire PGE, awholly owned subsidiary of Enron Corp. for $2.1 billion, excludingdebt (see Daily GPI, Nov. 9, 1999).

Austin, TX-based Green Mountain Energy has received aninvestment of $53.5 million to fund its growth in marketing cleanerenergy sources in deregulated markets in the United States. Oddlyenough, the investment will come overseas from Nuon, the largestutility in the Netherlands and a leading provider of green energyin Europe.

Austin, TX-based Green Mountain Energy has received aninvestment of $53.5 million to fund its growth in marketing cleanerenergy sources in deregulated markets in the United States. Oddlyenough, the investment will come overseas from Nuon, the largestutility in the Netherlands and a leading provider of green energyin Europe.