Virtual

No bumps in the road so far for HoustonStreet.com, as tradersare motoring to its newest platform to buy and sell oil products.The web-based exchange expanded its virtual garage last Thursday,and now offers crude oil and refined product trading. The expansionadds to HoustonStreet’s energy markets, a cyber marketplace thathas been offering trades on wholesale power and natural gas salesnationwide since last summer.

Electric deregulation is moving faster in the virtual world thanthe real world. While power choice has yet to sweep the land, threeproviders of Internet-based power trading are expanding/upgradingtheir systems to meet demand and improve system flexibility.

Electric deregulation is moving faster in the virtual world thanthe real world. While power choice has yet to sweep the land, threeproviders of Internet-based power trading are expanding/upgradingtheir systems to meet demand and improve system flexibility.

Two major engine manufacturers have formed a “virtual company”to cash in on the emerging retail market for electricity in NorthAmerica.

FERC’s proposed auction procedures for short-term capacity havebeen a virtual non-issue at the two bi-weekly sessions the gasindustry has held so far to discuss major FERC initiatives,industry sources say.

The hemorrhaging of prices that marked the first two days oftrading in the December aftermarket came to a virtual standstillWednesday even as unseasonably warm weather continued in much ofthe nation east of the Rockies. Except for an increase of more thana dime into Northwest at Sumas, all points were either flat or upor down only a few pennies. The reason for the surge at Sumas andwhy it was handily outstripping Rockies prices was that distributorBC Gas in southern British Columbia was drawing more heavily thanusual on discretionary supplies, one source said.