Retailers

Ontario Premier Ernie Eves last week put the brakes on the province’s newborn competitive power market and proposed a rate fixing plan some critics said was eerily similar to what happened in California, trigging blackouts and utility bankruptcies.

Retail energy marketers in Maryland said they favor current licensing rules and oppose erecting additional financial reporting requirements on retail energy marketers who want licenses to operate in the state. The Maryland Public Service Commission’s (PUC) recently requested comments on whether its current policy of requiring proof of financial integrity for all natural gas and electric suppliers in the state is adequate and does not restrict market entry.

Retail energy marketers in Maryland said they favor current licensing rules and oppose erecting additional financial reporting requirements on retail energy marketers who want licenses to operate in the state. The Maryland Public Service Commission’s (PUC) recently requested comments on whether its current policy of requiring proof of financial integrity for all natural gas and electric suppliers in the state is adequate and does not restrict market entry.

By agreeing last week to sell the stock of its retail marketingarm to Enron Energy Services Operations Inc. for $85 million,PG&E National Energy Group not only trimmed non-profitableassets from its portfolio, but perpetuated an industry-wide trendof major companies exiting the retail arena.

Two Canadian energy retailers soon will be served byAtlanta-based Utilipro Inc., provider of customer care solutions.Utilipro recently signed a letter of intent with Direct EnergyMarketing Limited (DEML), Canada’s largest independent gasmarketer, and Apollo Gas Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of Apollo GasIncome Fund, to directly bill customers for gas and energy-relatedservices.

Energy services company Avista Advantage signed contracts with36 Musicland and 59 Busy Body Home Fitness sites throughout theUnited States. The company now serves 3,500 customers in 48 states.Both Musicland and Busy Body Home Fitness are members of RETEX, aretail technology buying consortium. Avista Advantage is RETEX’spreferred provider of energy services. RETEX represents about 1,600member retail companies.