The rule allowing industrial customers to purchase gas directly from pipelines caused these firms' customer bases to jump exponentially. CNG Transmission Corp., based in Clarksburg, W.Va., had about 100 customers prior to changes in regulations, says George Givens, the company's director of IT services. It now has more than 1,400. In addition to having many more customers to keep track of, CNG Transmission has had to enhance the level of service it provides. Distribution companies want daily, not monthly, order confirmation.
Prices are much more volatile, changing daily rather than weekly.
Before Order 636, 20-year contracts with customers were the norm. The growth in customers and suppliers and the market's faster pace have rendered paper-based systems ineffective for charting gas volumes. C alls for innovative customer service inspired a new business venture for Panhandle Eastern Corp., a pipeline company based in Houston. 1 Source Information Services Co., to market these services. If they succeed, ventures like 1 Source could provide a significant boost to utilities' future profits as margins fall on their primary products.