Week

FERC last week gave the go-ahead for a mostly compressionupgrade that would add 315,218 Dth/d to Columbia Gulf Transmission,restoring its system to its original certificated capacity leveland then some.

FERC earlier this week gave the go-ahead to a compressionupgrade that would add 315,218 Dth/d of firm transportationcapacity to Columbia Gulf Transmission, bringing its system up toits certificated capacity level and then some.

A measure introduced in the New Mexico senate last week was a”good first step” towards opening up the state’s electricityindustry to competition, says the state’s largest utility, althoughit cited certain concerns.

Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco) earlier this week reached amajor settlement to auction off its power generation assets andflow back much of the profits to Maryland customers as part of itsplan to begin offering customer choice beginning July 2000.

Columbia Energy took a hit last week as the Michigan AttorneyGeneral stepped in to halt a misleading marketing effort by thecompany. Due to an objection by the Attorney General over thewording in a mail solicitation sent to Michcon pilot programcustomers, Columbia has consented to end the solicitation and givecustomers the option to choose other suppliers. Currently, Columbiahas signed 12,200 customers away from Michcon.

Houston Industries said last week it will meet the deregulatingenergy industry with a new name, Reliant Energy, which will begintrading under its new ticker symbol (NYSE:REI) Feb. 8.

FERC last week denied Midcoast Interstate Transmission’s requestfor a limited stay of the orders giving Southern Natural Gas(Sonat) the go-ahead to build an extension of its mainline intonorthern Alabama.

Canadian business and government energy representatives assureda Washington audience last week that the immense Canadian reservesand strong market ties between the U.S. and Canada spell long-termsupply security for U.S. consumers.

Continuing to work through the monstrous merger completed amonth ago, BP Amoco centralized its power last week by choosing theWestlake complex in Houston as its exploration and productionheadquarters, then revealing a 1,400 person job cut at the complex.Company officials said the jobs were lost due to duplication andcommodity price reasons. Overall, BP Amoco plans to lay off 1,600workers in Texas by the end of the first quarter.