While

In the matchup of East vs. West markets, it was the East by aknockout Friday. While western prices plunged for the thirdstraight weekend, the East relied on existing and predicted hotweather to range from flat to up about a nickel at most points andrealize gains of almost a dime at Northeast citygates. A screenrise of less than a penny was considered a negligible factor inboth regions.

While Questar continues preliminary work on its California-boundmainline, Kern River Pipeline has put its plans to run a newlarge-diameter pipeline into Southern California on hold, awaitingregulatory action from the dilatory California Public UtilitiesCommission.

While five of seven midwestern states have choice programs forresidential gas customers, that doesn’t mean an energy shoppingtrend is sweeping the heartland. In fact, as is the case with therest of the country, regulators, utilities, marketers and end-usershave miles to go before competition really sets in.

While Questar continues preliminary work on its California-boundmainline, Kern River Pipeline has put its plans to run a newlarge-diameter pipeline into Southern California on hold, awaitingregulatory action from the dilatory California Public UtilitiesCommission.

Questar is cutting about 25,000 Dth/d while repairing mechanicalproblems that began Tuesday afternoon on its No. 3 compressor atFidlar Station.

Prices failed to move much more than a penny or two up or downMonday at most eastern points, but power generation load was strongenough to support moderate upticks in the West. Trading activitywas slow for both June swing and July gas, said a marketer who sawGulf Coast pipes come off 3-4 cents from their early-morning highs.Cash was essentially waiting for something to happen, he added,”because neither it [cash market] nor the screen is going anywherethese days.”

While Pennsylvania’s gas deregulation bill for residential andsmall commercial customers has grabbed most of the focus on thestate’s gas industry, the fate of Philadelphia’s embattledmunicipal gas utility, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), also will bedecided during the current legislative session. A movement hasarisen in both the state Senate and the House of Representatives toattach an amendment onto the deregulation bill, which would shiftPGW control from the city government-selected Gas Commission to thePennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

While the American Gas Association (AGA) report loomed at theend of Wednesday’s trading, moderate temperature forecasts and theeasing of New England and New York electricity jams were enough tocause drops of more than a nickel in the Northeast. The New Yorkcitygate ended the day in the mid $2.50s after ascending to the mid$2.70s on Monday.

While Pennsylvania’s gas deregulation bill for residential andsmall commercial customers has grabbed most of the focus from thestate’s gas industry, the fate of Philadelphia’s embattledmunicipal gas utility, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), will also bedecided during the current legislative session. A movement hasarisen in both the state Senate and the House of Representatives toattach an amendment onto the deregulation bill which will shift PGWcontrol from the city government-selected Gas Commission to thePennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC).