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California power end users probably thought they were justhaving another nightmare Monday when the California ISO announcedStage One and Stage Two Electric Emergencies. After all, it’sNovember, not August. However, August apparently left a lastingimpression on the state’s ailing power plants.

FERC yesterday voted out a final rule that lays out “detailed”requirements for electric utilities to meet when submitting mergerapplications. The new rule is intended to help merger partners file”more complete” applications upfront, which then would improve theodds for speedier processing by the Commission, said CommissionerWilliam Massey, who has led the drive for a streamlined mergerprocess at FERC.

What do you get when you mix larger-than-expected supply newswith shoulder-month demand and a bearish weather outlook? If youanswered a double-digit price decline then you would have mademoney yesterday in the gas pit at Nymex. In a bearish one-two combothat will not soon be forgotten by bull nor bear, natural gasfutures tumbled lower yesterday afternoon amid an array of negativefundamental factors. Plumbing its lowest level since Aug. 28, theNovember contract slipped 16.1 cents to close at $4.659. Meanwhile,the winter strip suffered a 16.4-cent setback to finish at $4.647.

Internet commerce system Enermetrix picked up its firstregulated customer this week, when ValuSource Energy, a subsidiaryof Pennsylvania’s Duquesne Light Co., said it would use the networkto serve its business, government and industrial customers. TheEnermetrix system will give DLC’s customers the option to purchasetheir energy online through the Web-based network.

Due to startup delays, El Paso has extended maintenance on theWaha GE turbine and will notify shippers when it returns toservice. Meanwhile, the IMLWAHA interconnect will remain limited to60 MMcf/d. Waha Solar turbine maintenance has been delayed untilcompletion of work on the GE turbine. One-day maintenance on theHackberry 2 turbine that was scheduled for Sunday will bepostponed, El Paso said.

Canada’s fuel cell industry got a charge this week when theboard of directors of Fuel Cells Canada inaugurated a privatesector, not-for-profit organization designed to offer services andsupport to developers.

Advancing its reputation as one of the more innovative pipelinesin the industry when it comes to rate making, Reliant Energy GasTransmission (REGT) submitted a rate filing with FERC that willgive customers an ‘in-kind’ balancing option. The plan is part ofto its Automatic Nomination Service (ANS), a ‘just-in-time’ supplymanagement service.

Advancing its reputation as one of the more innovative pipelinesin the industry when it comes to ratemaking, Reliant Energy GasTransmission (REGT) submitted a rate filing with FERC that willgive customers an ‘in-kind’ balancing option. The plan is part ofto its Automatic Nomination Service (ANS), a ‘just-in-time’ supplymanagement service.

CP&L Energy’s shareholders yesterday overwhelmingly approvedthe company’s pending acquisition of Florida Progress Corp., which,when completed, will create one of the 10 largest U.S. energycompanies with a generating capacity of more than 19,000 MW andmore than 2.8 million electric and natural gas customers in theSoutheast.