Sector

Canada’s fuel cell industry got a charge this week when theboard of directors of Fuel Cells Canada inaugurated a privatesector, not-for-profit organization designed to offer services andsupport to developers.

As El Paso Energy sets about to become the biggest and best inpractically every sector of the natural gas and electric industry,its key gas pipeline subsidiary – El Paso Natural Gas – hasdistinguished itself on another front: it holds the record at FERCfor the most complaints filed against a single company.

Two main players in the gas industry’s e business sector joinedforces last week as Altra Energy Technologies and Excelergy Corp.announced an agreement in which Excelergy’s billing and customerinformation software will be marketed along with Altra’s wholesaletrading and risk management products. No financial terms weredisclosed. The venture is currently under way.

Two main players in the gas industry’s e business sector joinedforces yesterday as Altra Energy Technologies and Excelergy Corp.announced an agreement in which Excelergy’s billing and customerinformation software will be marketed along with Altra’s wholesaletrading and risk management products. No financial terms weredisclosed. The venture is currently under way.

In an effort to grow its nonregulated business sector, ColumbiaEnergy Group’s Columbia Propane Corp. recently announced a tenderoffer to acquire National Propane Partners for $80.4 million. Theoffer expires April 9. National Propane shareholders will vote inearly May.

The bullish prospects for natural gas-fired power generation andthe robust market developing in the merchant plant sector were bothunderscored last week by Duke Energy Power Services’ plans toinvest $700 million in state-of-the-art gas-fired units at two ofits recently purchased merchant sites in California.

Consolidated Natural Gas (CNG) is taking advantage of depressedprices in the E&ampP sector and spending more of its money where itsees the most long-term bang for the buck. Having pulled out of themarketing business, CNG’s $524.5 million capital budget for 1999continues the company’s focus on expanding its exploration andproduction business. More than 60% of the 1999 budget is allocatedto CNG’s E&ampP subsidiary, CNG Producing Co.