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With electricity woes in California continuing to grow inseverity, Calpine Corp. is in the process of easing the strain inthe long term as it considers plans to develop and operate an 1,100MW natural gas-fired electric generating facility in AlamedaCounty, CA.

With electricity woes in California continuing to grow inseverity, Calpine Corp. is in the process of easing the strain inthe long term as it considers plans to develop and operate an 1,100MW natural gas-fired electric generating facility in AlamedaCounty, CA.

If you think it’s frigid now, next week is going to be “brutal,”according to a short-term weather forecast issued by Salomon SmithBarney yesterday.

CMS Energy’s marketing subsidiary signed a long-term agreementto provide 10 Bcf of gas over 10 years to various facilities ownedby the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio (CCAO). Theagreement includes a prepayment of an undisclosed sum to CMS-MSTfunded by bonds issued by Hamilton County, OH, and underwritten bySeasongood & Mayer LLC of Cincinnati. “This agreementillustrates a marketing arrangement that is tailored to ourcustomer’s needs,” said Tamela W. Pallas, president of CMS-MST.”The agreement gives the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohioa secure supply of natural gas for 10 years at market-basedpricing. The association, in turn, will provide the natural gas toover 30 Ohio county governments, reducing natural gas costs andsaving taxpayer money.”

Natural gas production is on the upswing, according to EnergyInformation Administration’s November Short Term Energy Outlook.The agency said the “torrid pace” of gas drilling activity in NorthAmerica is starting to pay off. As a result, wellhead gas pricesshould ease further away from the $5/Mcf level through 2001 thanpreviously projected. Prices this winter, however, should stayabove $4.

Based on recent and near-term acquisitions, Alberta EnergyCompany Ltd., (AEC) has upped cash flow projections for itsmidstream business for 2000 from the original estimate of C$145million to over C$165 million. The company also expects itsmidstream’s forecasted cash flow for the year 2001 to be C$230million, double its performance in 1999.

Natural gas production is on the upswing, according to EnergyInformation Administration’s November Short Term Energy Outlook.The agency said the “torrid pace” of gas drilling activity in NorthAmerica is starting to pay off. As a result, wellhead gas pricesshould ease further away from the $5/Mcf level through 2001 thanpreviously projected. Prices this winter, however, should stayabove $4.

Based on recent and near-term acquisitions, Alberta EnergyCompany Ltd., (AEC) has upped cash flow projections for itsmidstream business for 2000 from the original estimate of C$145million to over C$165 million.

ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C. (OGT), and Duke Energy NorthAmerica (DENA) reported the execution of long term agreements forOGT to supply natural gas transportation to DENA’s naturalgas-fired McClain energy facility located in Newcastle, OK. Termsof the deal were not released. OGT will provide firm transportationof gas up to 85,000 Mcf/d to the 500 MW power plant. The McClainplant is expected to become operational and begin supplyingelectricity to regional markets next summer. OGT said industrysources expect as many as 20 merchant power facilities are beingreviewed for construction in the state.