Year

Pipelines now have an extra year to get interactive websites andelectronic data interchange systems in place, FERC said in a finalrule on the matter yesterday. The rule extends the deadline to June1, 2000. The order requires pipelines to provide a communicationssystem consisting of interactive Internet websites and EDI.

There is an unfair advantage in using the name of a 140-year-oldutility when marketing gas in Georgia, the state public servicecommission ruled Friday, ordering Atlanta Gas Light Services (AGLS)to market gas in the state under a different brand until AtlantaGas Light Co. exits the merchant function.

Bulk power transactions in 1997 increased significantly over1996 levels, pointing to the continued emergence of a competitivewholesale power market, according to Metzler Services’ 1997operating data and statistics for the electric utility industry.

The Gas Research Institute announced its newly created Canadiansubsidiary, GRI Canada, has been selected by Gas Technology Canadato manage a $5 million/year research, development andcommercialization program funded by the Canadian natural gasindustry.

New Jersey Natural Gas Co. (NJNG) and South Jersey Gas Co. (SJG)have formed a one-year alliance to capitalize on supply portfolioassets and create new marketing opportunities. The LDCs agreed torelease capacity to each other for more effective marketing of thatcapacity. For instance, South Jersey is a bigger player than NewJersey Natural on pipelines Columbia and Transco, while New JerseyNatural is a bigger player on Texas Gas and CNG. Under thearrangement, South Jersey will release its contracts on Texas Gasand CNG to New Jersey Natural, and New Jersey Natural will releaseits Columbia and Transco capacity to South Jersey.

Metrocall Inc. of Alexandria, VA, announced it has entered intoa new two-year strategic marketing agreement with Washington Gas tooffer Metrocall pagers and services to the utility’s customer basein the Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland.

New Energy Ventures won a huge four-year power supply contractwith the Department of Defense that covers 1,200,000 MWh ofelectricity annually is worth $300 million. Among the servicesincluded in the contract are energy procurement and access to dailyincremental electric usage and demand data for each site via NewEnergy Ventures’ customer service Web site,http://www.nevservice.com.

After searching for a leader to take the helm at EquitableResources for nearly a year, the company’s board of directorsannounced yesterday it has appointed Coral Energy CEO Murry S.Gerber, 45. Gerber will assume his position as president and chiefexecutive officer of Equitable on June 1. Gerber also will serve asa director on the company’s board.

Three commodity futures exchanges are expected to launch six newelectricity futures and options contracts this year based ondelivery east of the Mississippi and it looks like two Nymexcontracts could be the first to market. The Commodity FuturesTrading Commission yesterday approved the Nymex contracts, whichare based on delivery through the Cinergy transmission system (inOhio) and through the Entergy transmission system (in Louisiana). Athird Nymex electricity contract, based on delivery through thePennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection transmissionsystem, was not submitted to the CFTC because of recent changes inPJM policies. The PJM contract is expected to be submitted at alater date when the most active trading locations in the PJM poolare identified.