Report

Texas moved a step closer to a restructured electricitymarketplace last week when the state Senate approved a bill toderegulate electric utilities. The bill is now bound for the StateAffairs Committee of the House of Representatives. Hearings couldbe held as early as March 29. Gov. George W. Bush has voiced hissupport for electric deregulation.

Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) said it embarked on a$17.3 million stock repurchase plan last week after announcing theNew Mexico Supreme Court rejected a $112 million rate cut imposedby the state’s outgoing Public Utility Commission (PUC) late lastyear.

CMS Gas Transmission and Storage Co. said the Fort Union GasGathering partnership has secured all of the rights-of-waynecessary to construct its planned 106-mile natural gas gatheringsystem in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. CMS is the managingmember in the partnership, which also includes Enron Capital &ampTrade Resources Corp., Western Gas Resources and CIG Resources Co.

Energy.com and Columbia Gas of Ohio have teamed up to enableColumbia Gas customers to switch suppliers online from theEnergy.com web site as part of the utility’s customer choiceprogram. It marks Energy.com’s entrance into active deregulationenrollment services, the company said.

Western-based El Paso Energy, which lassoed Tennessee Gas Pipeline and a route to New England three years ago, rode into the Southeast last week, announcing it will acquire Sonat and its Southern Natural Gas Pipeline in a $6 billion deal.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline filed a significantly scaled-down versionof its Eastern Express Project 2000 last week, reporting thateastern markets have been slow to develop and many New Englandpower generators believe it would be premature to sign long-termcontracts for firm gas transportation. The pipeline’s applicationwith FERC calls for the addition of only 168 MMcf/d of capacityalong the northernmost part of its system at a connection with theJoint Facilities of the PNGTS and Maritimes &amp Northeastpipelines.

The recent rise in U.S. crude oil prices due to the announcedproduction cuts by the Organization of Petroleum ExportingCountries (OPEC) shouldn’t stop Congress from pursuing legislativereforms for domestic oil and natural gas producers, the head of anindependent producer association said yesterday.

Energy.Com and Columbia Gas of Ohio have teamed up to enableColumbia Gas customers to switch suppliers online from theEnergy.com web site as part of the utility’s customer choiceprogram. It marks Energy.com’s entrance into active deregulationenrollment services, the company said.

Rep. Robert Franks (R-NJ) told natural gas executives yesterdaythe Pipeline Safety Act of 1995, which is up for reauthorization inCongress this year, has been a success story so far and that hedoesn’t think it should be changed.