World

Natural gas and distributed electric power should be closeallies over the next 30 to 40 years as the world transitions toless dependence on a fossil fuel-based energy economy, according toproponents of different microturbines who outlined the”opportunities and challenges” of decentralized electricitygeneration May 11 at GasMart/Power ’99.

It should come as no surprise to anyone following the gasindustry that a recent survey of companies found the gas world tobe of “two minds” when it comes to supply-demand issues.

Daniel Rappaport was elected to a fourth two-year term asNymex’s chairman, making him the longest currently sitting chairmanof any futures exchange in the world, , the exchange announcedWednesday. Rappaport was first elected to the position in 1993.Before his election, he served six years as a member of Nymex’sboard of directors. Rappaport has been a member of the exchangesince 1981.

Energy.com Corp. of Columbus, OH, plans to go international withits Internet site on the World Wide Web. The global enhancement ofEnergy.com on-line will evolve through a series of strategicpartnerships and joint ventures. “Rapid expansion of our businessto capture the international opportunities is a key part of theoverall plan for Energy.com,” said Paul Feldman, chairman. “We seethe international market as a natural extension of the capabilitieswe have in place for the U.S. market.”

The Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB) executive committee (EC)approved standards for World Wide Web-based electronic commerce andtitle transfer tracking last week. The EC approved the first partof a series of standards designed to provide a 13-month transitionfor interstate gas pipelines from electronic bulletin boards tointeractive Web sites.

The Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB) executive committee (EC)approved standards for World Wide Web-based electronic commerce andtitle transfer tracking last week. The EC approved the first partof a series of standards designed to provide a 13-month transitionfor interstate gas pipelines from electronic bulletin boards tointeractive Web sites.

In this uncertain world Pittsburgh-based Weatherwise USA isoffering to eliminate one weather-related stress factor – that ofskyrocketing gas heating and cooling bills. The WeatherwiseWeatherProof Bills program claims to be the first to offer afixed-price gas service that eliminates weather- and gasprice-related uncertainty for individual consumers.

In this uncertain world Pittsburgh-based Weatherwise USA isoffering to eliminate one weather-related stress factor-that ofskyrocketing gas heating and cooling bills. The WeatherwiseWeatherProof Bills (sm) program claims to be the first to offer afixed price gas service that eliminates weather- and gasprice-related uncertainty for individual consumers.

Spurred on by LDC unbundling and subsequent decontracting,interstate gas pipelines are bracing for a brave new world thatcould portend significant changes in the way capacity is priced andin the types and range of services that will be offered tocustomers in the years ahead, pipeline executives said last week.