Statewide

The Georgia Senate approved House Bill 822 by a vote of 52-0Wednesday, paving the way for a one time, statewide customerassignment process to occur before the next heating season. Havingalready passed the House of Representatives unanimously, theamendment only needs Gov. Roy Barnes’ signature before it becomeslaw.

As part of a broad-based statewide investigation the first halfof 1999, California will explore possibilities for opening upelectricity distribution to competition as an extension of thestate’s ongoing energy industry restructuring. Potential impact onthe natural gas industry will be part of the investigation orderedearlier this month by the California Public Utilities Commission.

As part of broad-based statewide investigation the first half of1999, California will explore possibilities for opening upelectricity distribution to competition as an extension of thestate’s ongoing energy industry restructuring. Potential impact onthe natural gas industry will be part of the investigation orderedearlier this month by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Columbia Energy won’t be sinking dollars into a statewide brandadvertising campaign in Georgia like several other retail marketersdid prior to Nov. 1 start-up. Instead, the company plans anaggressive direct marketing program that focuses on attractivepricing and customer service. Columbia is offering Atlanta GasLight (AGL) customers a guaranteed bundled gas delivery price of39.9 cents per therm, a savings on gas costs of 18% for residentialcustomers and 19% for small commercial buyers compared to AGL’scharges over the last six months.

California’s statewide electricity ballot referendum that wouldturn back parts of the state’s ongoing power industry restructuringis losing by a bigger margin in the latest nonpartisan FieldInstitute survey, but the percentage of undecided voters (36%) isstill large, according to political polling experts.