Setting

With winter setting in for the long haul, two indicators have become a constant. Natural gas prices continue to stay pegged in the upper echelon, and fertilizer producing companies continue to scale back their natural gas-intensive process of producing items such as ammonia and methanol.

With winter setting in for the long haul, two indicators havebecome a constant. Natural gas prices continue to stay pegged inthe upper echelon, and fertilizer producing companies continue toscale back their natural gas-intensive process of producing itemssuch as ammonia and methanol.

No one can really predict the weather, “but at the rate winteris setting in, by the middle of February we’ll be where we usuallyare in April” in regard to natural gas in storage, according toThomas A. Petrie, chairman of Petrie Parkman & Co. in Denver.

Fueled by a record-setting storage withdrawal released yesterdayand revised outlooks by both private and governmental weatherforecasters, natural gas futures rocketed higher yesterday toeasily notch new all-time highs.

The legislative architect of California’s 1996 precedent-settingelectric industry restructuring law Monday proposed a $2 billionreserve be carved out of the state’s next fiscal budget to fund astate effort to buy or build new generation plants. Theannouncement came at the same time the state energy commission,which approves all new power plants of 50 MW or larger, released alegislatively mandated report that concludes the state’s generationresources are adequate, and temporary peaking plants are not neededfor the upcoming summer.

Chicago powerhouse Exelon announced new earnings targets for itsthree principal businesses yesterday, setting targets to grow at arate of about 10% a year through 2003. The company projectedearnings per share of $4.50 for 2001; $4.95 in 2002; and $5.40 in2003. Previous earnings per share had been $4.20 for 2001; $4.60 in2002; and $5.10 in 2003. Reduced amortization, partially offset byhigher spending for operations in its energy delivery business, isthe principal driver for the earnings increase said Exelonofficials. Exelon was formed in September 1999 in the merger ofPECO Energy Co. and Unicom Corp., and is one of the largestelectric utilities and the largest nuclear operator in the UnitedStates.

Houston-based Dynegy Inc., setting itself up as likely competition for current online trading king EnronOnline, has launched Dynegydirect, its own B2B trading site for energy and communications commodities. The new system will give its customers self-service access to bid and offer prices across U.S. power, natural gas and natural gas liquids products.

Houston-based Dynegy Inc., setting itself up as possiblecompetition for its cross-town Houston marketer Enron, has launchedDynegydirect, a B2B trading site for energy and communicationscommodities, which will give customers self-service access to bidand offer prices across U.S. power, natural gas and natural gasliquids products. CEO Chuck Watson said the site would extend thecompany’s “global reach through customized electronic solutions.”

After navigating California regulatory maze successfully withsome precedent-setting environmental planning, the backers of thefirst new power plant slated for electron-starved San Diego Countystill have some difficult decisions ahead regarding gas supply forthe 500-MW Otay Mesa generating plant.