Utility Week articles from February 2003

Utility Week archives from February 2003

ENERGY; Industry looks to form new voice for energy.
February 7, 2003... by Roger Milne The Electricity Association (EA) has effectively dissolved itself and begun talks with other interested organisations to see if a cross-sector body can be established speaking with one voice on energy issues. The EA was...

WATER; AWG sues Morrison for [pounds sterling]130m damages.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... AWG has launched a pound sterling130 million claim for damages over its acquisition of asset management firm Morrison. The Anglian Water parent served legal documents on alleging fraud and negligence to Sir Fraser Morrison, former chairman...

ELECTRICITY; Scottish generators facing price squeeze under Betta.(British Electricity Transmission and Trading Arrangements)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Generators have warned of the danger to Scottish players of a price squeeze under proposed plans to create a Britain-wide power trading regime. The warning, from the Association of Electricity Producers, came as energy regulator Ofgem said...

energy; CEZ board faces insider dealing probe.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... The Czech securities commission has launched an investigation into board members at power utility CEZ accused of insider trading. The utility bought its own shares prior to an anti-monopoly office announcement on 11 December to allow the...

TELECOMS; Sell-off is delayed as mobiles hurt Cesky.(Cesky Telecom)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Mark Andress Mobile companies have been taking a growing share of the Czech Republic's dominant fixed-line operator, former incumbent Cesky Telecom. And the Czech government has revealed it will not sell its 51 per cent stake in Cesky...

WATER; Short tells firms to be 'noble' abroad.(international development secretary Clare Short urges sustainable development for water firms in developing countries)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... International development secretary Clare Short has urged water companies to participate in bringing clean water and sanitation to the developing world, and to do so ethically. Speaking to the House of Commons' Associate Parliamentary...

electricity; Czechs bounce on new rule.(power companies profit from trading)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Regional Czech power firms are profiting from newly-allowed trading activities. East Bohemian power utility Vychodoceska energetika (VCE) increased its electricity sales in 2002 for the third year running. A VCE spokeswoman said: 'An...

TELECOMS; Debt-laden DT ditches cable in [pounds sterling]1bn deal.(Deutsche Telekom sells cable TV units)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Debt-strapped German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom last week sold the last of its cable television businesses in six German regions as part of its bid to reduce its heavy borrowings. An investor consortium made up of Apax Partners,...

PAN-UTILITY; Privatisation has not offloaded utility risk.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Paul Garrett A top utility executive this week slammed privatisation for failing to relieve the state and taxpayer of utility risk. The Thatcher government which privatised Britain's utilities would be 'incredulous' at the plight of...

TELECOMS; Edmonds says market is open enough.(telecommunications regulator David Edmonds)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Telecoms regulator David Edmonds defended his efforts to create a competitive market in the industry, saying the price control on BT was enough to speed up access for new entrants. Giving evidence to the Trade and Industry Select Committee,...

GAS; Enagas gets state aid boost.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Spain's gas network owner, Enagas, is expected to post a 12-13 per cent rise in 2003 regulated earnings because of more government support, according to a report issued by watchdog CNE. Enagas should get pound sterling294 million in aid for...

ELECTRICITY; Complaints up but consumers happy.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... UK electricity consumers have the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the European Union, according to new research published by Brussels. However, the findings have been thrown into sharp relief by customer complaints figures...

electricity; EniPower gets [pounds sterling]260m EIB loan for gas plant.(European Investment Bank)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a pound sterling260 million loan for EniPower to help the Italian company with a pound sterling650 million project to design, build and operate a series of combined cycle gas turbines in Italy....

ELECTRICITY; Switching made simpler online.(supplier switching)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Energy watchdogs have backed a new online system that makes electricity supplier switching easier, faster and significantly less likely to end up as an erroneous transfer. The system was developed by Powergen distribution arm East Midlands...

Trains, drains and 3G-speak.(industry briefs)(Column)
February 7, 2003... It has not been a very good week for transport, what with snow, gritting rage and so forth. So Disconnector was gobsmacked to learn about a particular example of incompetence affecting the brave new railway industry which has nowt to do...

GAS; Transco hails entry capacity sale success.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Transco has claimed that the first long-term entry capacity gas actions, held last month, were a success. But it has poured cold water on the regulator's hope that the exercise would provide clear signals about the need and location of...

ENERGY; Gas Natural in power project talks.(with Repsol-YPF, BP)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Gas Natural is in advanced talks with oil company and shareholder Repsol-YPF and Britain's BP to purchase their combined-cycle electricity project in Cartagena, southeast Spain. The move is part of Gas Natural's bid to gain a 10 per cent...

TELECOMS; Gent: blame the regulators for crisis.(Sir Chris Gent, Vodafone CEO)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Vodafone chief executive Sir Chris Gent has hit out at national telecoms regulators, saying they had 'blood on their hands' and were just as much to blame as poor managers for the crisis of debt and job losses in the industry. Speaking at...

Moving truths.(utilities should focus on existing customers who move home)
February 7, 2003... Your existing customers are the most valuable - don't lose them just because they move home . Alex Patient reports. This quarter last year (January-March 2002), UK utilities poured money into advertising campaigns to win new customers,...

water; Spanish water plan fiercely opposed.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... The Spanish government has sought to head off a move at the European Parliament to persuade the European Commission that Spain's ambitious national hydrological plan breaks European Union environmental legislation and should not be eligible for...

ELECTRICITY; Users warn of springtime surge in industrial bills.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Power prices for industrial and commercial users are poised to escalate despite recent sustained falls, according to energy users group EIC. 'Latest analysis of the UK electricity market shows that industrial and commercial retail prices...

GAS; Iberdrola bid to join gas pipe project.(Aims for shareholding in Europe-Argelia gas pipeline project)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Spain's second-biggest power firm Iberdrola is in talks with compatriot oil firm Cepsa and Sonatrach to take a shareholding in the Europe-Argelia gas-pipeline project. Sources close to Iberdrola said the deal would help the firm extend and...

Talk is cheaper.(Carphone Warehouse Group PLC offers 'cut-price' telephone service)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Carphone Warehouse has unveiled a 'cut-price' telephone service called TalkTalk, according to the Sunday Telegraph, claiming it will cut the cost of calling a landline by as much as 30 per cent over BT's standard rates. Customers will continue...

energy; Eni gets Italgas and green light for Fortum.(ENI SpA raises stake in Italgas to over 98% and will buy Fortum Petroleum)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Martha Grace Italian oil and gas giant Eni has completed its takeover of Italgas by increasing its stake in the gas distributor to more than 98 per cent. Meanwhile, the European Commission has approved Eni's takeover of Norwegian gas...

TELECOMS; Kingston dives on warning of hard times.(Kingston Communications (Hull) PLC)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Shares in Hull-based telecoms operator Kingston Communications nose-dived by nearly 16 per cent last week after chief executive Steve Maine said revenues would be under pressure in the coming year. '[Market] conditions will continue to be...

The debt question.(Arrival of banks as bidders for utilities raises issue of debt)
February 7, 2003... These days the prospect of a financial institution snapping up utility assets raises few eyebrows. But with the arrival of banks as utility bidders comes a bigger issue - debt. Higher gearing has been a feature of the utilities sector for a...

TELECOMS; MMO2's data revenue rise beats forecasts.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Mobile operator MMO2 has beaten analysts' expectations for mobile data growth in the third quarter, with data as a percentage of service revenue increasing to 17.7 per cent from 12.8 per cent at the same time last year. Analysts at broker...

WATER; MPs scrutinise Framework slacking.(Water Framework Directive)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Water minister Elliot Morley came under a barrage of questioning last week from MPs anxious about the government's efforts on the Water Framework Directive. Much of the questioning was about costs. New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne and Mid...

WATER; Canal firm in court on mast venture.(British Waterways fights decision that could hurt its telecom mast venture)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Canal company British Waterways was due in court on Wednesday, after Utility Week went to press, to challenge a decision it believed would wreck its telecoms mast venture. It has objected to a plan by Railtrack and Marconi, joint owners of...

A foot on the ladder.(Lack of skilled workers hurts utilities industry; training is being addressed)
February 7, 2003... A lack of skilled workers is proving an ongoing problem for businesses in the utilities industry. Staff levels are low and companies find it increasingly difficult to attract new employees. If a career in utilities is to appeal to new recruits,...

Thumbs down for deregulation.(Utilities are losing confidence in deregulation)
February 7, 2003... Utility confidence in deregulation has fallen significantly, a report prepared by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young has concluded. Two years ago, when the issue was researched, the consultancy reported that a majority of companies were enthusiastic....

Portugal Telecom.(Correios e Telecomunicacoes de Portugal EP's three-pronged strategy includes growing domestic mobile operations)
February 7, 2003... by Nigel Hawkins In recent years, Portugal Telecom has grown its business from the predominantly fixed-line operations in Portugal to embrace a major mobile division, as well as expanding overseas - most notably into Brazil. The...

Vodafone.(Vodafone Group PLC has strong balance sheet; has paid for most acquisitions in shares)
February 7, 2003... by Zo Grainge Last year shaped up as an interesting one for Vodafone, and this year looks set to be the same. A new chief executive- designate (former non-executive board member Arun Sarin), a 41 per cent increase on pre-tax profit in its...

Contract out.(New Electricity Trading Arrangements)
February 7, 2003... It was inevitable that the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (Neta), which went live in March 2001, would affect the workability of current contracts, both for the purchase of power by major energy users and for the sale of power by...

eLECTRICITY; Centrica's chief quits to head British Energy.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Roger Milne Centrica's chief operating officer Mike Alexander was named this week as the new chief executive of beleaguered nuclear generator British Energy. He is due to join the crippled company on 1 March. British Energy has yet...

WATER; Northumbrian interest but no Cambridge bid.(Northumbrian Water has interested bidders, but not Cambridge Water)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Two high-profile disposals of UK water companies by European owners were reporting contrasting progress this week. A number of banks and an infrastructure group have been linked to a pound sterling2 billion bid for Northumbrian Water, which...

Streetwise sell.(Utilities are still hurt from mis-selling scandal surrounding Virgin; Ofgem's stance on door-to-door sales is discussed)
February 7, 2003... Utilities are still reeling under the weight of bad publicity resulting from the last mis-selling scandal that surrounded Virgin. Although some clever PR put London Electricity firmly into the firing line as the major shareholder, the rest of...

TELECOMS; Orange subs figures let down by the UK.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Zo Grainge French-owned mobile operator Orange was let down by weaker than expected subscriber rates at its UK operation in the fourth quarter of 2002. Net growth in subscribers was 252,000 for the quarter, compared with MMO2's...

water; Two bidders left for Pisa's Acque Spa.(Consortia led by Severn Trent and Ondeo are remaining bidders)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Consortia led by Severn Trent and Suez unit Ondeo were the only bidders still in the running for a 45 per cent stake in Pisa water supplier Acque Spa, after the withdrawal of bids by RWE/Thames Water, Saur International and Enel Hydro. ...

Will Betta be an improvement?(British Electricity Transmission and Trading Arrangements)
February 7, 2003... The absence from the Queen's Speech of the legislation for the British Electricity Transmission and Trading Arrangements (Betta) was seen by some as a sign that the government was back-tracking on plans for a nationwide power market. There...

WATER; Pollution blacklist delayed by a year.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Karma Ockenden Companies waiting for publication of the list of substances to be banned under the Water Framework Directive are to be kept waiting another year because of Brussels' heel-dragging. The European Commission was due to...

electricity; RWE accused over meters.(RWE Net)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Germany's Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has accused RWE Net of demanding 'clearly excessive' charges from rivals for the installation and maintenance of electricity meters. RWE Net is a sister company to supplier RWEPlus. The accusation is...

electricity; RWE Plus buys into Slovakia's VSE.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... RWE Plus has completed its purchase of a 49 per cent stake in Slovakian supplier VSE. The pound sterling85 million deal gives the German company operational control of VSE, which has 22 per cent of the Slovakian market. It achieved turnover of...

eLECTRICITY; Green power prices rising.(Renewable Obligation Certificates are discussed )(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... The price of green power is set to increase next year because of delays in generation schemes, according to the latest sector survey of Renewable Obligation Certificates (RoCs). The price of RoCs is predicted to be around [pounds...

gas; Eon last-ditch moves clinch Ruhrgas deal.
February 7, 2003... by Trevor Dooley In a last-ditch move, German utility giant Eon won over objectors to its pound sterling6.5 billion bid for Ruhrgas and acquired a 60 per cent stake in the gas giant. The resolution of the long-running scrap came ahead...

electricity; Players target takeover trail.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Customers in Brighton, Ipswich and Liverpool are being targeted for a heavy sales push by electricity suppliers, according to market analyst Datamonitor. The companies are in a race to win business in regions of the country where a...

WATER; Scots will see prices soar by 10% this year.(Scottish Water announced bills would rise 9.9% in 2003/04)
February 7, 2003... by Karma Ockenden Customers in the east and west of Scotland were told last week that they faced price hikes of 10 per cent this year. Scottish Water announced bills would be 9.9 per cent up in 2003/04, although exactly how much each...

ENERGY; S&SE gambit wins custom.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Scottish & Southern Energy (S&SE) has outstripped rivals in winning customers by focusing on lost business, according to a report by market analyst Datamonitor. Datamonitor said S&SE had offered 'bundled and personalised services to...

MULTI-UTILITies; Suez revenues show value of 'safe' markets.(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Suez's goal for 2003/04 to cut its exposure to emerging markets was backed up by its 2002 revenue figures released last week. Turnover from its businesses in Europe and North America accounted for 88 per cent of the group total to 31...

BG offers rare ray of sunshine.(BG Group stock stands out among utility stocks)
February 7, 2003... The FTSE index ended an 11-day slide this week but there was little upturn for utility stocks, with the energy and water sectors staying flat and telecoms continuing the downward trend. One of the few stocks that stood out in the greyness...

Fitting the bill.(Difficulty of telecom operators turning a profit is discussed)
February 7, 2003... It is a well-known fact that telecoms operators are struggling to achieve profitability, and failures of big players in the industry attest to the difficulty of running a competitive operation. A recent report quoted the high cost of third...

environment; UK wind sails ahead despite the hurdles.(UK is most favorable commercial environment for wind power )(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... by Trevor Dooley The UK is the most favourable commercial environment for wind power despite the obstacles created by the planning regime, according to a recent report from consultancy Ernst & Young. Using its in-house formulated...

electricity; Bewag gives Vattenfall clout in Germany.(Bewag shareholders approve integration into Vattenfall Europe)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2003... Bewag shareholders have formally approved the Berlin-based utility's integration into Vattenfall Europe. The agreement completed the creation by Swedish parent Vattenfall of a pound sterling3.6 billion power group in northeast Germany,...

Split the difference.(The new Vivendi has become an aggressive media player; one of its buys was Universal Studios)
February 7, 2003... During the late 1960s, the radical French politician Jean-Jacques Servan Schreiber wrote a famous book, Le Defi Americain. It addressed the issue of the global commercial policy espoused by America - and the impact that it was having on French...

environment; Rules extended on pollutant disclosure.(United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... by Alan Osborn Utilities will have to make public more information about the pollutants they release, under a new international treaty agreed by 30 member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The treaty...

gas; British Gas a 'victim' in billing fiasco.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... A war of words has erupted over claims by Energywatch that British Gas has experienced significant billing difficulties affecting thousands of its electricity customers. Last week the watchdog claimed that up to 50,000 customers had not...

ENERGY; Long wait for British Energy.(talks with creditors on rescue package)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Talks between British Energy and its creditors and bondholders were due to go to the wire this week as the generator attempted to ensure approval of the government-backed rescue package for the company. Today (Friday) is the deadline. As...

TELECOMS; Chinese predator eyes Vodafone in Japan.(PCCW may target Japan Telecom)
February 14, 2003... by Zo Grainge The Japanese fixed-line business of global mobile operator Vodafone could be the next target for acquisitive Hong Kong-based telecoms and internet company PCCW, following the latter's moves on telecoms company Cable &...

water; Flood-hit Czech water system gets EIB loan.(European Investment Bank)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... The Czech cabinet has decided to use part of a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to repair pound sterling22.11 million-worth of damage to water facilities in South Bohemia caused by last summer's devastating floods. Agriculture...

ELECTRICITY; Czechs to keep nuclear power in the frame.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Czech Republic industry and trade minister Jiri Rusnok last week said the country may need a new nuclear power station of 1.8GW capacity in the next ten to 20 years. 'We should not give up the idea of nuclear energy,' Rusnok said in an...

electricity; EC probes Austrian merger.(European Commission investigates merger of 5 electric utilities)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... The European Commission has begun an inquiry into the EVN-led merger of five regional electricity utilities into a group that controls up to 80 per cent of the Austrian market. The Commission said it 'might have such market dominance that...

ENERGY; Italy in the dock over privatisation laws.(European Commission launches infringement proceedings against Italy)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... by Zo Grainge The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Italy over its privatisation rules. The Commission is concerned that a law laying the groundwork for privatisation - which covers utilities including...

electricity; Endesa may pull out of Snet.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Spanish power company Endesa could pull out of Franch distribution company Snet if majority shareholder Charbonnages de France (CdF) tries to force it to exercise a purchase option. Endesa bought 30 per cent of Snet in April 2001. Under the...

gas; Spain wants Enagas to own gas network.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... by Ivan Castano Spain wants natural gas distributor Enagas to own all of the country's gas transport and storage infrastructure because it believes it will boost network efficiency. The government believes it would be more practical if...

gas; Enel signs LNG plant deal with British Gas.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Enel and British Gas have reached an outline agreement over joint use of the UK supplier's planned liquid natural gas terminal at Brindisi. Access to the pound sterling220 million plant, which will have a capacity of 4 billion cubic metres...

telecoms; Czech mobiles overtake fixed lines.(Eurotel has more customers than Cesky Telecom)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Czech GSM operator Eurotel has overtaken former monopoly fixed line operator Cesky Telecom as the country's biggest telecoms provider in terms of number of lines. Eurotel increased its customer base by 20.2 per cent to 3.89 million over...

multi-utilities; Eon's Ruhrgas merger faces fresh FCO probe.(German Federal Cartel Office)
February 14, 2003... by Simon Jones The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) is to investigate the deals that Eon negotiated with rival utilities that persuaded them to drop their legal challenge to its takeover of Ruhrgas. FCO president Ulf Boge also wants to...

Dirty tricks on Valentine's Day.(industry briefs)
February 14, 2003... If there was a top prize for PR ingenuity this week, it probably would have to go to Yorkshire Water. In a cunning wheeze it has offered 'the region's dirtiest lovers' what it is calling 'the ultimate Valentine's Day date'. Yup. A 'dirty...

Hedge masters.(energy hedging)
February 14, 2003... With the bubble of speculative trading burst, energy companies must do their homework on hedging . By Grant Thain. Across the electricity sector, utilities have been retrenching and scaling back on their speculative trading activities. They...

electricity; Hungarian industry to import power.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... One month after the partial opening of Hungary's electricity market, the first industrial customers have announced that they will look beyond the country's borders and import their own power. Hungary's largest single consumer, petrochemical...

energy; Iberdrola raises [pounds sterling]330m in bond sale.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Spanish electricity major Iberdrola has raised pound sterling330 million through a bond emission aimed at refinancing its debt. Rival Endesa is said to be eyeing a similar move. Iberdrola offered the 10-year bonds at 4.9 per cent interest....

GAS; Larkhall blast: Transco due in court in March.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... The trial date for Transco's appearance in the High Court in Edinburgh on a charge of culpable homicide after the 1999 fatal gas blast at Larkhall, Lanarkshire, has been set for 7 March. A couple and their two children were killed in the...

You couldn't make it up.(complicated utility takeovers, WestLB bid for AWG)
February 14, 2003... Last week the reinvention of the Vivendi bid for Southern Water looked like the latest, state-of-the-art version of utility ownership. We had a bank taking the lead in the bid and a conventional utility, Vivendi, as the minority partner in a...

WATER; Scots MPs give thumbs-up to new water law.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Members of the Scottish Parliament have passed new legislation to protect Scotland's water environment and amend water service provisions. There were two parts to the Water Environment and Water Services Bill. The primary aim of part one...

WATER; Bank tips AWG and Pennon.(Merrill Lynch lists best buy stocks)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Investment bank Merrill Lynch has tipped AWG and Pennon as its best buy stocks for 2003. It said AWG, now subject to a bid (see opposite), was a 'value anomaly' since its refinancing, trading at just 61 per cent of its anticipated...

Best low carbon energy mix.(energy use, production report)
February 14, 2003... Substantial cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, can be achieved without nuclear energy and without stunting economic growth, according to a major new report on energy use and production commissioned for the prime...

ELECTRICITY; Red credit off on wires deal.(Red Electrica de Espana downgraded)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Credit rating agency Moody's has downgraded Spanish power transmission firm Red Electrica de Espana following the company's acquisition of the networks of Endesa and Union Fenosa. The downgrade - which keeps the rating in investor grade...

Wessex Water.(financial information)
February 14, 2003... by Zo Grainge Having ridden out the allegations of corruption, Colin Skellett still holds his position as the head of Wessex Water, although he was forced to resign his chairmanship of construction group Jarvis in the wake of the...

All hands to the pump.(Electricity Trading and Transmission Bill)
February 14, 2003... This year the regulated utility sector promises to keep m'learned friends busy. New law-making is at an unusually high level for the electricity industry, in particular. This is because the government, in addition to pushing the Electricity...

TELECOMS; Hutchison in charge gambit.(Hutchison 3G to focus on low call charges)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Third-generation mobile new entrant Hutchison 3G will not subsidise its handsets when it launches its services this year. Instead, it will focus on low call charges. Hutchison, which now trades as 3, has unveiled tariffs aimed at...

eLECTRICITY; No need for nuclear in low-carbon future.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... by Roger Milne Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide could be made without relying on nuclear power, according to a report commissioned by the prime minister's strategy unit. That is one of the findings of a 100-page document...

GAS; Row over links for Norwegian imports to UK.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... A wrangle over how major new gas supplies due to be imported to Britain from a Norwegian field will come ashore has clouded negotiations between the two states. Next month the two governments hoped to sign an agreement on new...

ENERGY; Seven admit to doorstep swindling.(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... The energy industry's tarnished reputation on doorstep selling was stained further this week. Seven men admitted tricking pensioners in Nottinghamshire into signing contracts, as well as forging signatures. The uniformed doorstep sellers...

energy; Nuon to expand German presence with new firm.(Nuon Vertrieb formed)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2003... Nuon has taken its expansion into Germany a stage further with the founding of marketing subsidiary Nuon Vertrieb and the appointment of experienced ex-Bewag boss Dietmar Winje as head of Nuon Deutschland. The Netherlands' second-biggest...