Toward

A new merchant natural gas storage project in a depleted gasfield about 35 miles northeast of Denver has obtained all of itsstate approvals, and its backers anticipate construction startingearly next year with initial start-up to begin in the fourthquarter of next year.

The decibel level of the cries to rollback California’s electricindustry deregulation was raised considerably last week withconsumer advocates, local and state elected officials, andregulators joining the growing chorus. There is the prospect forstate legislative hearings before the summer session ends inSeptember to look at possible changes in the state’s 1996electricity law.

The NiSource-Columbia merger has gotten past two more hurdles on its way toward completion. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) unanimously approved the merger, leaving Virginia as the only state left out of the nine yet to approve it (see NGI, July. 10).

The Iowa Utilities Board has moved toward certifying natural gasmarketers in the state after issuing a proposed rulemaking thatsets different standards for small- and large- volume customers,specifically focusing on smaller customers who may not have theresources to evaluate a potential marketer.

The Iowa Utilities Board is moved toward certifying natural gasmarketers in the state after issuing a proposed rulemaking lastweek. The proposal sets different standards for small- and large-volume customers, specifically focusing on smaller customers whomay not have the resources to evaluate a potential marketer.

TransCanada PipeLines has completed sales of two more midstreamprocessing plants for $63 million, moving the company about a thirdof the way toward its goal of divesting $3 billion in midstream andinternational assets this year.

San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s two major utilities are taking anew attitude toward the energy service providers in California,treating them as customers rather than competitors under thecorporate holding company’s new strategy to capture an increasingshare of developing retail energy markets nationally. The utilitieswill concentrate on wires and pipes distribution, while nonutilityaffiliates go after the energy services markets.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week took “anothercritical step” toward providing new power generators with more”certainty and assurance” in their efforts to interconnect with thetransmission grid.

The growth in Canada’s natural gas supply is moving northwardand at some point is expected to be “within reach” of Alaska, wherethe United States has “huge reserves” of gas. If this trendcontinues, the still-under-construction Alliance Pipelineconceivably one day could be transporting both Canadian and Alaskangas supplies, an executive with the pipeline said.