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Marking its initial promotion to capture some of the residentialgas market in Georgia, Southeastern States Energy, Inc. (SSE)announced a partnership with PowerTrust.com, an Internet-basedpower services company, to offer customers the ability to sign withSSE through the PowerTrust.com web site. Although the GeorgiaPublic Service Commission (GPSC) will decide market share for thestate’s suppliers on Aug. 11, Beth Perry Sewell, president of SSE,said there is still time to be successful in the Georgia market.

In response to some nudging from the Senate, the White House hasofficially renominated Commissioner Curt Hebert Jr. to a newfive-year term at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It’sexpected the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee willhold a hearing and vote out his renomination possibly by the Augustrecess. Until then, Hebert – whose current term expired June 30th -will continue to serve at FERC under a grace period that ends withthe current session of Congress in late October.

Nuevo Energy, a Houston, TX-based exploration and productioncompany, bolstered its California position Tuesday by paying Texaco$61 million for interests in six oil and gas fields. Includingthese acquisitions, 87% of Nuevo’s total reserves and productionwill be based in California.

With prices looking up, Energy Search Inc. of Knoxville, TN,sought and will get a boost to help develop some of its oil and gasproperties. The company made a deal to accelerate development withSouthern Producer Services, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based SouthernEnergy Inc.

With prices looking up, Energy Search Inc. of Knoxville, TN,sought and will get a boost to help develop some of its oil and gasproperties. The company made a deal to accelerate development withSouthern Producer Services, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based SouthernEnergy Inc.

Except for some western upticks, the cash market bore remarkableresemblance to a pancake Wednesday. Flatness remained the order ofthe day at nearly every trading point. And much as on Tuesday, thelittle bit of price movement that did occur in the East wasgenerally a little lower.

“We are standing on the doorstep of some of America’s largestenergy-consuming markets: Boston, New York City, Chicago,Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco and Los Angeles. We believe therewill be about a half-dozen national energy providers. SouthernCompany intends to be one of those companies.”

Cash prices continued climbing by another nickel or more at mostpoints Wednesday, but traders sensed the market might have peakedfor the first week of the May aftermarket. They cited late dealsbeing done several cents below the early-morning highs. And the AGAstorage report of 34 Bcf in injections last week, although it cametoo late to affect Wednesday’s cash business, was regarded by manyas contributing to a more bearish mood. One source characterizedthe figure as “kind of middle of the road” (because it met theexpectations of many) but leaning slightly to the bearish side. Heand others noted the drop in Access futures prices after the reportcame out.

It didn’t take long for those predicting that May swing priceswould remain under index levels all month to have to eat theirwords. Not all points matched indexes again Tuesday, but quite afew did in a general show of strength by the cash market, and therest were coming close. Most gains were in the vicinity of a dime,but those in the Rockies and California markets tended to be closerto a nickel or so.