ABB Systems Control sold an OASIS gateway system to Cinergy Corp. The system is configured to communicate with the ECAR OASIS node, handling TTC and ATC calculations, transmission service requests and other required transmission path information. Cinergy also bought an ABB enhanced interchange scheduling system, ISplus(.
Northern State Power Co.'s Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant in Minneapolis, Minn. was expected to start up in July or August after a May 9 shutdown to correct a design problem. The shutdown of the 555-megawatt unit isn't expected to affect adversely the potential power supply shortage in eastern Wisconsin, where utilities have three nuclear generating units out of service. Those units were expected back on line in June. During the Monticello outage, NSP will give customers electricity generated at its other plants and through power purchases from other sources.
Also in Minnesota, the board of Cooperative Power, a 17-co-op association, approved a venture to deploy a digital SONET-based fiber-optic telecommunications network to serve communities in the southern half the state. Called FiberOne, the new venture will allow businesses, governments and consumers to tap into an advanced network. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 enabled the creation of the company. The network is expected to be in use sometime after July.
CMS Energy Corp. formed a partnership with Argentina's Entre Rios Province to bring in new business and industry. CMS Energy's CMS Electric and Gas is managing partner of a consortium that acquired a majority interest in the utility serving Entre Rios, called EDEER S.A.