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Locking horns yet again with Naperville, IL-based Nicor Gas, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) — a utility watchdog group — last week urged state regulators to scrap a controversial “alternative regulation” plan that has allowed the natural gas distributor to charge customers at least $27 million more than they would have paid under standard ratemaking rules.

Due to the number of responses and suggestions regarding FERC’s current online systems, the Commission said that it has issued a notice of intent to modify its Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS), Records Information Management System (RIMS) and its Docket Sheet System.

The chances are good that a major constitutional question regarding whether federal bankruptcy laws trump a California state law restricting the sale of private-sector utility assets will emerge from the comprehensive Pacific Gas and Electric Co. bankruptcy case, in which the utility filed its reorganization plan last Thursday. Not withstanding this potential turn, a San Francisco bankruptcy attorney said Monday if it were not for the state-regulated utility assets involved, the PG&E reorganization plan would be “fairly typical in which certain assets are sold or otherwise financed to pay creditors.”

El Paso Corp. said that it has received several inquires regarding the expandability of the Willcox Lateral to serve new markets off the east leg of the lateral. Of the 130,000 Mcf/d of capacity on the Willcox Lateral, 92,166 Mcf/d has been subscribed, leaving 37,834 Mcf/d of un-subscribed capacity available. The lateral runs 60 miles from the El Paso mainline in Cochise County, AZ, to border crossing facilities and is aimed at serving several existing and proposed gas-fired power plants in Mexico’s northern state of Sonora.

El Paso Corp. said that it has received several inquires regarding the expandability of the Willcox Lateral to serve new markets off the east leg of the lateral. Of the 130,000 Mcf/d of capacity on the Willcox Lateral, 92,166 Mcf/d has been subscribed, leaving 37,834 Mcf/d of un-subscribed capacity available. The lateral runs 60 miles from the El Paso mainline in Cochise County, AZ, to border crossing facilities and is aimed at serving several existing and proposed gas-fired power plants in Mexico’s northern state of Sonora.

Northwest reminded shippers that as the end of its storage injection season (Sept. 30) nears, the pipeline’s flexibility “regarding banking or drafting is very restricted.” Both the Jackson Prairie storage facility and the Plymouth LNG facility are almost at full capacity, Northwest said. It noted that although it maintains storage space at Questar’s Clay Basin facility, Questar is allocating injections on a daily basis, “which limits Northwest’s ability to inject there as well.” Shippers were asked to “make every effort to keep nominated volumes in line with scheduled volumes in order to avoid banking or drafting.”

Gas well completions are up throughout the Lower 48, but there is still “considerable uncertainty” regarding how much supply will come from the increased drilling, according to the Energy Information Administration. Noting recent price trends and increased drilling activity, EIA found there should be an excess gas supply by the end of 2001, but caveats remain.

Gas well completions are up throughout the Lower 48, but there is still “considerable uncertainty” regarding how much supply will come from the increased drilling, according to the Energy Information Administration. Noting recent price trends and increased drilling activity, EIA found there should be an excess gas supply by the end of 2001, but caveats remain.

Despite high natural gas prices and reports of flat production throughout North America over the last five years, gas-fired electric generation in operation, construction or development reached a new all-time record in the month of March, according to a new report by Energy Ventures Analysis Inc (EVA). With the help of new projects announced within the last three months, gas-fired generation topped 305,000 MW.