Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC said it accepted the certificate issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission July 13 to put into standby service a 8,311 hp compressor unit at its existing natural gas compressor station in Richmond and connect a 8,311 hp unit in Baileyville, Maine. The increased compression will allow Maritimes to transport greater volumes of natural gas to meet the growing electricity needs of the New England market.
Atlanta Gas Light Co., a unit of AGL Resources Inc., Atlanta, Ga., said it entered into an agreement with IMServ LLC, a unit of the UK's Invensys PLC, to provide automated meter reading technology to read more than 1.3 million meters in Georgia, at no additional cost to customers. The program will be rolled out over a 3-year period, beginning with a test in Macon, Ga. Nexus Data Inc., Dallas, Tex., said it will supply the wide area fixed network and operations center to IMServ under a $50 million contract.
Calpine Corp., San Jose, Calif, reported its Houston, Tex., Channel power plant has entered simple cycle operations and is generating up to 190 Mw of electricity for the Texas wholesale power market. The company expects to complete the 630 Mw combined cycle build out in the spring of 2002. Channel will supply all of the electricity and steam requirements for Lyondell-Citgo Refining LP under the terms of a 20-year agreement.
GE Power Systems, a unit of the General Electric Co., said it received contracts to supply turbines valued at 206.2 million euros for power projects in Jordan, Oman, and Turkey. In Jordan, the company will supply a PG9171E gas turbine for a 92 Mw expansion of the Rehab power station. It will supply one MS6001FA gas turbine-generator and auxiliary equipment for a power plant in Haima West, Oman, producing 67 Mw. In Turkey, it will supply four MS6001B gas turbine-generators and auxiliary equipment to three combined cycle facilities located in Adana, Canakkale, and Mersin for a total of 240 Mw.
Dominion East Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, a unit of Dominion Resources Inc., reported customers will pay 29% less for natural gas, effective July 30, under a gas cost recovery decrease filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Dominion East Ohio customers will pay $6.17/Mcf, down from the previous $8.70/Mcf that had been in effect since Apr. 30.
Wisconsin Electric-Wisconsin Gas, the utility unit of Wisconsin Energy Corp., executed a 15-year agreement under which SchlumbergerSema, Norcross, Ga., a unit of Schlumberger Ltd., will provide network meter reading technology services to the Milwaukee company. As part of the agreement, SchlumbergerSema will provide Wisconsin Electric-Wisconsin Gas with energy consumption data and advanced information analysis services. Rollout is set to begin in the first quarter of 2002, SchlumbergerSema said.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM), Albuquerque, NM, said it asked the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to reconsider conditions imposed in a commission order approving PNM's formation of a new holding company. The June 28 order places 40 restrictions on the new corporate structure. PNM said it believes some conditions are unnecessarily burdensome and could have an adverse effect on the company's ability to respond to changing market conditions.
NRG Energy Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., said it acquired 60% of Taiwan's Hsin Yu Energy Development Co. Ltd. Hsin Yu currently owns a 170 Mw combined cycle gas turbine cogeneration facility, Hsinchu Phase I, at the Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park near Taipei. Hsin Yu is developing a 245 Mw expansion of the Hsinchu facility, and a new 490 Mw greenfield project at the Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park in southern Taiwan. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Madison Gas & Electric Co., Madison, Wis., said it filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to raise electric rates 5% or $12 million and gas rates 0.7%. The company said the increase would result in a monthly rise of $3.24 for a typical residential electric customer and a 58¢ increase for an average residential gas customer.
Cogentrix Energy Inc., Charlotte, NC, said it completed the financing for its Caledonia Generating LLC electric generating facility near Columbus, Miss. The debt and equity financing provided by GE Capital Global Energy allows construction of the 810 Mw gas-fired, combined cycle plant to begin immediately to meet a scheduled June 2003 operation date. Details of the financing were not disclosed.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will take comments until Aug. 14 on an application by Idaho Power Co., Boise, Ida., and the City of Caldwell to install an electric distribution feeder line into Caldwell's East Urban Renewal project. Based on the proposed agreement, Idaho Power is willing to build the "New Linden Feeder," and related distribution facilities upon payment by the city of $408,386.30.
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement authorizing Consumers Energy Co., Jackson, Mich., to implement a gas cost recovery plan of up to $4.87/Mcf for April and May 2001 and a factor of up to $4.69/Mcf for the months of June through March 2002. Separately, regulators approved Consumers Energy 3-year Green Power Pilot Program. Program participants will be able to purchase increments of 10, 50, and 100% of their energy from certified renewable energy generators.
Mirant Corp., Atlanta, Ga. said it planned to acquire 100% of the shares of Puerto Rico's EcoElectrica Holdings Ltd. currently held by Edison Mission Energy, a unit of Edison International, and Enron Corp., Houston. EcoElectrica Holdings Ltd. owns a 540 Mw gas-fired, combined cycle power plant. Also included in the acquisition is a liquefied natural gas terminal that provides gas to the power plant. Terms were not disclosed.
Allegheny Energy Supply, a unit of Allegheny Energy Inc., Hagerstown, Md., said it will build an 88 Mw gas-fired peaking plant in Guilford Township, Pa. Allegheny received the air permit for the facility from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection June 26. Construction began the week of July 16, and the units are expected to be in commercial operation by yearend.
