Rockland

Two days after failing to muster enough votes to grant a Boston-based company a non-binding option to build a $200 million natural gas-fired power plant within the city limits, the city council of Rockland, ME, reversed course on Friday and voted 4-0 to proceed with the project.

Southern Energy New York closed a previously announced $480million, 1,776 MW purchase of all Orange and Rockland (O&R)Utilities’ generation assets Thursday. At the same time the dealclosed the Southern Energy subsidiary, which was created with thesole intention of operating these newly-acquired assets, wasted notime in proposing a $390 million, 710 MW expansion to the BowlinePoint Generation Station in Haverstraw, NY.

The New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) approvedthe merger of Consolidated Edison of New York and Orange andRockland Utilities. NYPSC Chairman Maureen O. Helmer said Consumerswill benefit from the strength of the companies’ combinedmanagement and from merger-related savings over the next fiveyears.

Consolidated Edison and Orange and Rockland Utilities passed amilestone on their way to merging with approval of the transactionFriday by the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC). Themerger also has been approved by the New Jersey and Pennsylvaniaregulators and FERC. Con Ed plans to acquire all O&R’s commonstock for $58.50 per share, or about $790 million. O&R willbecome a wholly-owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison and willcontinue to operate as a separate company. The utilities areawaiting the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission andcompletion of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act review by the U.S.Department of Justice and expect to close the transaction by nextmonth.