Utility

Northwest Natural Gas Co. reported that the Oregon PublicUtility Commission (OPUC), in an order issued Nov. 12, authorized anet revenue increase from NW Natural’s Oregon operations of $0.2million/year. The revenue increase will come from rate increasesaveraging about 1.3% for Oregon residential customers, partiallyoffset by rate decreases for certain commercial and largeindustrial customers.

GPU Inc., parent of New Jersey’s largest electric utility, GPU Energy, unveiled a multi-point program designed to enhance shareholder returns at the Edison Electric Institute Finance Conference in Orlando, FL, last week. The plan includes a $100 million cost reduction over the next two years, a $40-$50 million investment to improve the company’s reliability and a non-core asset sale designed to generate over $500 million.

GPU Inc., parent of New Jersey’s largest electric utility, GPUEnergy, unveiled a multi-point program designed to enhanceshareholder returns at the Edison Electric Institute FinanceConference in Orlando, FL, yesterday. The plan includes a $100million cost reduction over the next two years, a $40-$50 millioninvestment to improve the company’s reliability and a non-coreasset sale designed to generate over $500 million.

Citing a need to meet future growth in the region, NW Natural, agas utility serving 477,000 customers in Washington, announcedplans to build a 52-mile, 24-inch pipeline from its existingfacilities near North Plains, WA, to the Williams Gas Pipeline inMolalla, WA. The company said yesterday it has filed a notice ofintent with the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC), a divisionof the Oregon Department of Energy. The total cost for the newpipeline, which NW Natural said would be complete by 2004, is $58million.

Citing a need to meet future growth in the region, NW Natural, agas utility serving 477,000 customers in Washington, announcedplans to build a 52-mile, 24-inch pipeline from its existingfacilities near North Plains, WA, to the Williams Gas Pipeline inMolalla, WA. The company said yesterday it has filed a Notice ofIntent with the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC), a divisionof the Oregon Department of Energy. The total cost for theexpansion, which NW Natural said would be complete by 2004, is $58million.

Due to confusion over service area territory, 2,300 East OhioGas (EOG) customers wrongfully switched suppliers from the utilityto ACN Energy, the marketer admitted last week. A letter has beensent to the involved customers. No money changed hands and ACN hastaken responsibility for the mistake.

Pennsylvania Enterprises Inc and subsidiaries and Southern UnionCo. said the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PPUC) approvedthe merger of the two companies.

Due to confusion over service area territory, 2,300 East OhioGas (EOG) customers wrongfully switched suppliers from the utilityto ACN Energy, the marketer admitted earlier this week. A letterhas been sent to the involved customers. No money changed hands andACN has taken responsibility for the mistake.

Texas gas-fired generation and distributed generation stand togain from recent actions by the state’s Public Utility Commission.Commission staff has proposed a natural gas energy credits (NGEC)trading program with the goal of ensuring that at least 50% of allnew generating capacity, except that powered by renewabletechnologies, be gas-fired after Jan. 1. The proposal does notinclude modifications to generation facilities that merely increaseefficiency of currently installed equipment.