Signing

The Illinois Citizens Utility Board (CUB) charged Wednesday that Peoples Energy Services is misleading consumers into signing up for a “fixed price” natural gas plan until 2005, even though the price isn’t fixed.

French-based Total is set to expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations in North America by the end of the decade after signing a 20-year supply agreement with Nigeria LNG Ltd. The sale and purchase agreement, to begin in 2007, would supply subsidiary Total Gas & Power Ltd. with 1.3 Bcf/year of LNG for market expansion in the Western Hemisphere.

With 2 Bcf/d in natural gas supply needs that will almost double in the next few years, San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp. plans to supplement its own 1 Tcf natural gas holdings in the U. S. and Canada with a major supply agreement for liquefied natural gas (LNG) that is slated to start arriving on the West Coast of North America by 2006-07, according to the company’s CEO speaking during a second quarter earnings conference call Wednesday. Gas will continue to “a very, very important part” of Calpine’s operations, he said.

Rocky Mountain Gas Inc. (RMG) upped its potential in the Powder River Basin after signing an option agreement to acquire nearly 40,0000 net acres of undeveloped coalbed methane (CBM) properties in northeastern Wyoming.

Five major energy companies are the majority of the private-sector firms signing a consent decree with California state officials Thursday to clean up a 38-acre toxic waste site in Huntington Beach, CA, that was abandoned nearly 20 years ago and has sat vacant. Gov. Gray Davis announced the agreement, calling it a “significant achievement.”

Enron Energy Services (EES) is on the move again, signing itssecond energy management contract in as many weeks, this time withpharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. The $1.3 billion agreementwill run for the next 15 years.

Enron Energy Services (EES) is on the move again, signing itssecond energy management contract in as many weeks, this time withpharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. The $1.3 billion agreementwill run for the next 15 years.

El Paso Energy Corp. is closer to acquiring PG&E Corp.’sTexas gathering and liquids businesses for about $840 million instock and debt after signing a consent agreement earlier this week.The deal includes 8,500 miles of natural gas transmission pipelinesthat transport about 2.8 Bcf/d, nine processing plants that process1.5 Bcf/d, and a 7.2 Bcf natural gas storage field.

Michigan Gov. John Engler did as expected on Saturday, signinginto law an electric deregulation utility package which mandates animmediate 5% rate cut for residential customers and gives thestate’s Public Service Commission (PSC) additional authority toensure competition exists for electric services.