Supplier

The founding cornerstone of regulation in Canada’s chiefenergy-supplier jurisdiction has turned out to be alive and well— and operating at the expense of natural gas producers.

Continuing to push its advantage as the main gas supplier inWisconsin, Coastal’s ANR Pipeline Co. announced yesterday thatAlliant Energy’s Wisconsin Power & Light Co. (WP&L) hasagreed to extend to 2003 and 2010, respectively, its transportationand storage service agreements, which are due to expire in 2000 and2003. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC-W) hasapproved the agreements. Financial terms were not disclosed.

ACN Energy, a gas supplier to thousands of consumers inCalifornia, filed a formal complaint last week to the CaliforniaPublic Utilities Commission (CPUC) concerning distribution feestatements sent out to ACN customers by Southern California Gas(SoCalGas). The complaint accuses SoCalGas of mailing ACN customersstatements that falsely imply SoCalGas is their gas provider. As aresult, ACN said some of its customers have mistakenly andneedlessly sent checks to SoCalGas.

ACN Energy, a gas supplier to thousands of consumers inCalifornia, issued a statement last week accusing SouthernCalifornia Gas Co. (SoCalGas) of mailing ACN customers statementsthat falsely imply SoCalGas is their gas provider. ACN has calledfor an immediate end to the practice and is seeking monetaryretribution for the resultant loss of customers.

One year after opening its entire Ohio territory to retail gassupplier competition, Columbia Gas of Ohio said nearly 500,000customers, or about one-third of those eligible, are buying gasfrom marketers rather than the utility. Columbia serves 1.3 millioncustomers in the state.

One year after opening its entire Ohio territory to retail gassupplier competition, Columbia Gas of Ohio said nearly 500,000customers, or about one-third of those eligible, are buying gasfrom marketers rather than the utility. Columbia serves 1.3 millioncustomers in the state.

DTE Energy, Detroit Edison’s parent company, said this week itis in the market to acquire a natural gas supplier. The company isin exploratory stages right now but hopes to have some kind ofagreement by the end of this year, a DTE official said at thecompany’s annual meeting.

Lured by the chance to be a main supplier for the wealth ofgas-fired power plants planned for Texas, Aquila Energy bought theKaty Hub from Western Gas Resources last week. The $100 milliondeal is expected to close by April 30, although it still needs toclear the Federal Trade Commission’s Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Lured by the chance to be a main supplier for the wealth ofgas-fired power plants planned for Texas, Aquila Energy bought theKaty Hub from Western Gas Resources Monday. The $100 million dealis expected to close by April 30, although it still needs to clearthe Federal Trade Commission’s Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.