Wins

California’s power plant siting agency gave unanimous approvalWednesday to Duke Energy’s plans to build new facilities at itsexisting Moss Landing generating plant along the central Californiacoast, adding 1,200-MW capacity while eliminating eight 225-footsmoke stakes and 10 oil storage tanks for the existing plant sitedeveloped in the early 1950s. After a 22-month approval process,Duke officials said earlier in the week they will beginconstruction Monday, assuming they receive a final local waterpermit as expected on Friday.

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) scored two wins last week asthe Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted to begin aninvestigation into Nicor Gas’ gas deregulation program andtemporarily blocked a proposed expansion of the program until thecompany can prove it benefits customers.

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) scored two wins yesterday asthe Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted to begin aninvestigation into Nicor Gas’ gas deregulation program andtemporarily block a proposed expansion of the program until thecompany can prove it benefits customers.

After a hard fight over a small project assigned bigsignificance by the contestants, the National Energy Board (NEB)has upheld the doctrine that has ushered pipeline competition intothe Canadian natural-gas community. An NEB panel under boardChairman Ken Vollman approved a new, producer-sponsored bypass ofthe TransCanada-Nova system in Alberta, rejecting pleas for thefederal agency to stop setting precedents favoring new entries intogas transportation.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week endorsed acustomer-friendly interconnction plan by Commonwealth Edison,calling it “another critical step” toward getting new merchantpower plants on the transmission grid.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week took “anothercritical step” toward providing new power generators with more”certainty and assurance” in their efforts to interconnect with thetransmission grid.

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. won a reprieve from a feared revenuehemorrhage but lost a battle for rights to administer strongmedicine of its own making against recurrences of the threat. In aruling on lengthy, hard-fought winter hearings, the National EnergyBoard authorized TransCanada to raise floor prices forinterruptible delivery service on excess capacity to 80% of ratesfor firm service from 50%, effective May 1. But the NEB rejectedpleas by the pipeline to decide independently on setting variableminimum charges on leftover space depending on its reading ofmarket conditions.

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. won a reprieve from a feared revenuehemorrhage but lost a battle for rights to administer strongmedicine of its own making against recurrences of the threat. In aruling on lengthy, hard-fought winter hearings, the National EnergyBoard authorized TransCanada to raise floor prices forinterruptible delivery service on excess capacity to 80% of ratesfor firm service from 50%, effective May 1. But the NEB rejectedpleas by the pipeline to decide independently on setting variableminimum charges on leftover space depending on its reading ofmarket conditions.

KN Gas Services emerged as the market leader from thethree-month-long Agricultural Choice Gas Program in Nebraska, as itsigned 36% of the customers who participated in the program. Theresults of the pilot program were released last week by KN Energy.