Requests

FERC has granted Northwest Pipeline Corp. and Duke Energy Trading Marketing LLC’s (DETM) requests for waivers of the pipeline’s tariff that would allow DETM to carry out the permanent transfer of its transportation capacity in its Northwestern Regional Book to an unidentified prearranged replacement shipper.

The firm representing Enron Corp.’s acting CEO on Thursday filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan asking for a $25 million “success fee” for guiding the fallen energy giant through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

A Houston judge may decide Wednesday whether to allow former Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay to have a separate trial from his alleged co-conspirators, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling and former Chief Accounting Officer Richard Causey. Lay’s attorney, who made the request on Monday, also requested that the trial, whether before a jury or not, begin by mid-September.

Pogo Producing has filed a request with FERC for emergency pipeline capacity allocation on Southern Natural Gas’ offshore Gulf of Mexico pipelines upstream of the Toca, LA, gas processing plant, part of which is scheduled to be taken down in August for upgrades. Pogo, a captive producer with about 52 MMcf/d of production behind the Toca plant, said the plant shutdown could lead to the shut-in of 250 MMcf/d of gas production and some oil production.

Major rate requests from Spokane, WA-based Avista Corp.’s natural gas/electric utility operations in the state and Idaho Power Co. are scheduled to kick off this month for the Idaho Public Utilities Commission in the mid part of the month. In the meantime, the state regulators last Thursday denied Avista’s request for a March 10 effective date for its proposed hikes of 24.1% for power and 9.2% for natural gas.

Wheeling, WV-based Ormet Primary Aluminum Corp. has issued two requests for proposals, seeking up to 553 MW of power supply, up to 6.8 Bcf/year of gas supply and complete utilization of Ormet’s substantial demand-side resources and dynamic scheduling, which provides control area and ancillary services. The RFPs are for service starting Jan. 1, 2005. Proposals are due April 8. Ormet uses 542 MW of around-the-clock power at a 99% annual load factor at its Hannibal, OH, plant. It has the ability to reduce load by as much as 480 MW upon a 15-minute notice and is a self supplying customer not tied to a retail supplier. One of Ormet’s RFPs seeks proposals for all or a portion of its power supply and utilization of its demand-side resources. Demand-side proposals can be combined with or separate from the power supply proposals. The RFP also invites suppliers to submit offers for 6.8 Bcf/year of gas supply for its Burnside alumina plant located south of Baton Rouge, LA. In the second RFP, Ormet is soliciting dynamic scheduling to provide control area and ancillary services. The company said it would consider proposals separate from or in conjunction with the first RFP. For additional details, visit Ormet’s web site at www.ormet.com/rfp.

American Electric Power Co. (AEP) on Tuesday requested another week to respond to charges by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that it intentionally reported bogus natural gas trading information to industry publications. AEP’s deadline to respond was Tuesday (Jan. 6).

NiSource subsidiary Northern Indiana Public Service (NIPSCO) filed a motion for clarification of an order issued by Indiana regulators in September that will require the utility to refund gas customers $3.8 million and make significant modifications to its use and valuation of gas storage, and its hedging and gas volatility mitigation measures. However, the company decided late on Friday not to appeal the order, said NIPSCO spokesman Larry Graham.

NiSource subsidiary Northern Indiana Public Service (NIPSCO) has filed a motion for clarification of an order issued by Indiana regulators in September that will require the utility to refund gas customers $3.8 million and make significant modifications to its use and valuation of gas storage, and its hedging and gas volatility mitigation measures. It was the first time Indiana regulators had ordered a refund based on NIPSCO’s purchased gas adjustment (PGA) mechanism.