Three separate utilities have formed subsidiaries:

s The Columbia Gas System, Inc.'s new unit, Columbia Service Partners, Inc. will market new, nongas needs to homeowners and businesses, including warranty, fuel management, and gas-line repair services.

s Brooklyn Union's new gas marketing affiliate, KeySpan Energy Services, Inc., will buy and sell gas and provide transportation and related services, first to commercial and industrial customers, then to aggregated commercial and residential customers.

Peter C. Nelson was named president and CEO of California Water Service Co. Nelson also will be a director. He comes from Pacific Gas & Electric Co., where he was v.p.-division operations. He replaces the retiring Donald L. Houck.

Jack Lucido of ANR Pipeline Co. was elected to the American Gas Association's pipeline research committee, succeeding Gary Walker of Pacific Transmission Co.

The Electric Power Research Institute hired Karl G. Van Orsdol as senior manager, international relations.

Entergy Corp. has hired John A. Brayman, former president of Ameritech Corp.'s telephone industry services subsidiary in Chicago. Brayman will continue company expansion into nonregulated, domestic energy, and utility-related business as executive v.p. of Entergy Enterprises, Inc. and president of an as-yet unnamed group.J. William Holden was named Southern Electric International's v.p. for operations and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

GE Supply, a General Electric division, promoted William C. Betke to g.m.

Dan W. Reicher was named acting assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Reicher has served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary since 1993 and was a member of the Clinton-Gore transition team. Reicher replaces Jack Riggs, who left to take a senior position at the Aspen Institute.PECO Energy Co. selected William H. Smith III as v.p. and group executive of its new Telecommunications Group. Stepping into his seat as nuclear support v.p. is Drew Fetters.

James H.

Joseph Santaniello has been named director of management information systems for NUI Corp. He was previously director of engineering at Elizabethtown Gas, NUI's New Jersey operating division. Stephen Liaskos, formerly controller at Metallgesellschaft Corp., joins NUI as controller. Michael A. Palecki, most recently of the Florida Public Service Commission, has been named v.p. of regulatory affairs for NUI's southern division.

BICC Utility Cable Co.

On a cold day, natural gas from storage reservoirs may supply as much to markets as gas from producing wells. The ability to store gas underground not only ensures reliable delivery during periods of heavy demand, but also allows more level production and pipeline flows throughout the year. Thus, some believe that the cost of storage should be spread over all gas delivered during a year, not just gas delivered from storage sites to end-use customers during the winter.

Cajun Electric Cooperative has lost its request with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for an emergency stay of the appointment of a trustee in bankruptcy. Cajun had claimed a conflict of interest because the proposed trustee, Ralph Maybe, belongs to the Salt Lake City law office of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & McRae, which worked for Entergy and Gulf States Utilities Co. (GSU) on matters concerning the River Bend nuclear plant. Entergy and GSU have been involved in a $2-billion lawsuit with Cajun over the plant since 1989.

U.S.

The board of directors of Yankee Energy System, Inc. has elected Ellen J. Quinn v.p., corporate and environmental planning, and Sarah K. Sanders treasurer for the company. Before joining Yankee Energy, Quinn worked as a scientist at Northeast Utilities, and at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Sanders also came from Northeast Utilities, where she worked as an analyst.

David H.

Northern States Power Co. (NSP) and Wisconsin Energy Corp. (parent company of Wisconsin Electric Power Co., WEPCO, and Wisconsin Natural Gas Co.), have announced plans to merge, a move NSP says will create the tenth-largest investor-owned utility in the United States, based on market capitalization. The new company (em Primergy Corp. (em would operate as a registered public utility holding company and parent company of NSP and WEPCO, with the gas subsidiary perhaps spun off to comply with the Holding Company Act.