Allegheny Energy settles Merrill Lynch litigation

subscribe

Allegheny Energy Inc. has agreed to pay Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. $50 million in exchange for the securities firm's 2 percent interest in the power company's generation business to settle a lawsuit.

The settlement ends five years of litigation between the two companies over Allegheny Energy's $490 million purchase in 2001 of Merrill's energy trading business. Allegheny Energy said Merrill will turn over its 2 percent interest in Allegheny Energy Supply LLC, in exchange for a $50 million payment. All litigation and claims associated with the case will be dismissed.

In 2001, Allegheny Energy, hoping to cash in on what then was a burgeoning energy trading business led by Enron Corp., purchased Merrill's Global Energy Markets operation, and gave the securities firm a 2 percent stake in its Allegheny Energy Supply LLC.

One year later, Merrill sued Allegheny Energy over $115 million the securities firm claimed it still was owed from the deal. Allegheny Energy countersued, alleging Merrill had misrepresented the trading operation's revenue. Allegheny Energy said Merrill wanted to sell its trading business because it was run by a manager who lied about its finances.

The manager, Daniel Gordon, helped build Merrill's trading business and later headed the unit after Allegheny Energy acquired it. He pleaded guilty to fraud in 2003 and was sentenced to 42 months in prison for embezzling $43 million while he was working at Merrill.

Related News

power line

Manitoba Hydro scales back rate increase next year

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Hydro is scaling back its rate hike request for next year, instead of the annual 7.9 per cent hikes the Crown corporation previously said it would need until 2023-24 to address debt. 

Hydro is asking the Public Utilities Board for a 3.5 per cent rate increase next year, which would take effect on April 1.

In last week's application, Hydro said its new board is reviewing the corporation's financial picture. Once that is complete, the utility expects to submit a new multi-year rate application in late 2019 that addresses the organization's long-term future.

"It's too speculative at this point to discuss any possible future rate increases," spokesperson Bruce…

READ MORE
tunisia solar panels

ABO to build 10MW Tunisian solar park

READ MORE

Battery-electric buses hit the roads in Metro Vancouver

READ MORE

quebec-usa-electricity

Americans aren't just blocking our oil pipelines, now they're fighting Hydro-Quebec's clean power lines

READ MORE

thermoelectric materials

A new approach finds materials that can turn waste heat into electricity

READ MORE