Utility

NSTAR, the parent company of Boston Edison, CommonwealthElectric, Cambridge Electric and Commonwealth Gas, has requestedthat the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission impose a price cap of$1,000/MWh on the New England power market to protect electricityconsumers from potential surges in electricity prices.

Pacific Gas & Electric issued a customer-specific OFO totake effect today. As of Tuesday morning the utility was projectingabove-target linepack levels through Friday.

The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control approved afirm transportation agreement between Southern Connecticut Gas, CNEEnergy Services Group and Milford Power that requires Southern toinstall distribution lines and transport 96,000 Dth/d of gas to theproposed 544 MW Milford Power Plant. The electric generatingfacility has a targeted in-service date of February 2001.

The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control approved afirm transportation agreement between Southern Connecticut Gas, CNEEnergy Services Group and Milford Power that requires Southern toinstall distribution lines and transport 96,000 Dth/d of gas to theproposed 544 MW Milford Power Plant. The electric generatingfacility has a targeted in-service date of February 2001.

Atlanta Gas Light, the distribution utility for more than 1.5million customers in Georgia, said last week that through a ratecase settlement with Southern Natural Gas Pipeline (Sonat) and anew agreement with Transco’s SouthCoast project, its customersstand to save anywhere from $10 million to $32 million annually.

Atlanta Gas Light, the distribution utility for more than 1.5million customers in Georgia, said yesterday that through a ratecase settlement with Southern Natural Gas Pipeline (Sonat) and anew agreement with Transco’s SouthCoast project, its customersstand to save anywhere from $10 million to $32 million annually.

Once relegated to auction block status, Kinder Morgan’s MidConTexas Pipeline (MTP) continued its revival last week by renewingits gas sales and transportation contract with Reliant EnergyHL&P through March 1, 2004. Additionally, MTP has entered intoa new transportation services agreement with Reliant EnergyHL&P beginning in 2002 and extending through 2012.

Central and South West Corp. of Dallas filed with the PublicUtility Commission of Texas (PUCT) its business separation planrequired by Texas Senate Bill 7 on Electric Restructuring. The plandescribes the approach proposed by CSW to unbundle the activitiesof each of its Texas electric operating companies into threeentities. While the plan is directed to meet the requirements ofthe Texas restructuring legislation, the separation plan shouldalso meet restructuring requirements anticipated in Arkansas,Louisiana and Oklahoma, the company said.

Duquesne Light Co. of Pittsburgh, a DQE subsidiary, filed withthe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to transfer itsgeneration fleet to Baltimore-based Orion Power Holdings Inc., thewinning bidder in a previous generation auction. Orion will payDuquesne Light $1.705 billion for seven wholly owned fossil-firedgeneration stations, certain transmission facilities, and the rightand obligation to supply wholesale power to serve Duquesne’sprovider of last resort customers. As a result, Duquesne will endstranded cost collection in 2001 for most major customer rateclasses, reducing rates by more than 25%, assuming market pricesfor electricity remain at or below the commission-approved shoppingcredits.