Tells

In his parting shot as FERC chairman last week, James J. Hoecker issued one last plea to California Gov. Gray Davis to join with the Commission to enforce its comprehensive reforms for the state’s beleaguered power market: a $150/MWh soft price cap on wholesale sales, an emphasis on forward contracting by utilities, market-monitoring activities, and state participation in a regional transmission organization (RTO).

In his parting shot as FERC chairman last week, James J. Hoeckerissued one last plea to California Gov. Gray Davis to join with theCommission to enforce its comprehensive reforms for the state’sbeleaguered power market: a $150/MWh soft price cap on wholesalesales, an emphasis on forward contracting by utilities,market-monitoring activities, and state participation in a regionaltransmission organization (RTO).

The Columbia Energy-NiSource marriage won’t kill the Millenniumpipeline project nor will strong opposition to its pipeline routein New York, Millennium Pipeline Chairman David Pentzien said lastweek in a letter to FERC’s Daniel M. Adamson, director of theOffice of Energy Projects.

The Columbia Energy-NiSource marriage won’t kill the Millenniumpipeline project nor will strong opposition to its pipeline routein New York, Millennium Pipeline Chairman David Pentzien said thisweek in a letter to FERC’s Daniel M. Adamson, director of theOffice of Energy Projects.

An official with Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line told a Senatecommittee last week that pipeline deliverability to the Northeastregion was extremely “taxed” this winter, resulting in highdelivered gas prices to the New York market during January andFebruary. This, he said, underscores the need for more pipelinecapacity to the region.

Southwest Gas threw the latest stone in the battle surroundingits proposed merger with Oneok Inc. earlier this week, refusing togo along with a request from Carl Kunasek, the Arizona CorporationCommission (ACC) chairman, to allow rival suitor Southern Union(SU) to intervene in the ACC proceedings involving the merger.

A glance at NiSource’s second quarter earnings tells a lot aboutwhy it’s looking to Columbia for help. While Columbia won praisefrom analysts for beating second quarter earnings expectations witha 15% jump in net income to $26.1 million, or 32 cents per share,it’s hostile suitor NiSource struggled and fell short of WallStreet expectations by $0.03/share, reporting a 22% drop in netincome to $22.9 million or $0.18/share, from $29.5, or $0.24/sharein 2Q98.

Columbia Energy Group’s (CG) board once again told NiSource, inno uncertain terms, to take a hike last week and urged CGshareholders to reject NiSource’s $68/share ($5.7 billion) hostiletakeover offer. NiSource took its offer to shareholders June 25 andsaid it will continue to fight for the deal. It had no tally ofshares tendered as of last week but said numbers would be availablesoon.

Columbia Energy Group’s (CG) board once again told NiSource, inno uncertain terms, to take a hike yesterday and urged CGshareholders to reject NiSource’s $68/share ($5.7 billion) hostiletakeover offer. NiSource took its offer to shareholders June 25 andsaid it will continue to fight for the deal. It had no tally ofshares tendered as of yesterday but said numbers would be availableby the weekend.