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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM U-9C-3

QUARTERLY REPORT

For the quarter ended December 31, 2004

Filed Pursuant to Rule 58 of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935

This report is being submitted as a combined filing for NiSource Inc. and Columbia Energy Group.

Please direct all inquiries to Jeffrey Grossman, Vice President and Controller of NiSource Inc. at 219-647-5675

NiSource Inc./Columbia Energy Group

801 E 86th Avenue
Merrillville, IN 46410

 


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EXHIBIT A
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ITEM 1. ORGANIZATION CHART

                     
Name of Company               Percentage    
(Organization Chart Hierarchy)   Energy or           of Voting    
(Inactive companies denoted with (*))   Gas-related   Date of   State of   Securities    
(Reporting companies denoted with (**))   Company   Organization   Organization   Held   Nature of Business
NiSource Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
Columbia Energy Group
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
Columbia Atlantic Trading Corporation (**)
  Gas-related   03/19/74   Delaware   100%   Gas-related ventures
Columbia Deep Water Services Company (**)
  Gas-related   01/07/98   Delaware   100%   Gas pipeline development
Columbia Energy Services Corporation (**)
  Energy-related   06/06/60   Kentucky   100%   Energy-related services
NewPower Holdings (**)
  Energy-related   06/29/00   Delaware   1.0%   Gas Marketing
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (**)
  Gas-related   03/03/69   Delaware   100%   Interstate gas pipeline
Columbia Gulf Transmission Company (**)
  Gas-related   05/28/58   Delaware   100%   Interstate gas pipeline
Energy USA, Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
EnergyUSA-TPC Corporation (**)
  Energy-related   08/10/00   Delaware   100%   Gas marketing
NI Energy Services Transportation, Inc. (**)
  Gas-related   06/18/98   Indiana   100%   Gas pipeline
NI-TEX, Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
Laredo Nueces Pipeline Company (*) (**)
  Gas-related   9/19/1998   Texas   50%   Gas pipeline
Granite State Gas Transmission (**)
  Gas-related   10/24/55   New Hampshire   100%   Interstate gas pipeline
NI Energy Services, Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
Crossroads Pipeline Company (**)
  Gas-related   04/05/93   Indiana   100%   Interstate gas pipeline
NESI Power Marketing, Inc. (*) (**)
  Energy-related   07/18/96   Indiana   100%   Power Marketing
NiSource Energy Technologies, Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
SunPower Corporation (**) (a)
  Energy-related   04/24/85   California   14.7%   Developer of solar cells
Acumentrics Corporation (**)
  Energy-related   08/18/94   Massachusetts   3.1%   Developer of solid oxide fuel cells
NiSource Retail Service, Inc. (**)
  Energy-related   11/12/03   Delaware   100%   Energy-related services
Northern Indiana Fuel and Light Company, Inc.
  N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A   N/A
Northern Indiana Trading Company, Inc. (**)
  Energy-related   02/10/88   Indiana   100%   Gas marketing
 

(a) SunPower Corporation was sold in November 2004.

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ITEM 2. ISSUANCES AND RENEWALS OF SECURITIES AND CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Securities:

                                 
Company   Type of   Principal           Person to   Collateral   Consideration    
Issuing   Security   Amount of   Issue or   Cost of   Whom Security   Given with   Received for    
Security   Issued   Security   Renewal   Capital   was Issued   Security   Each Security    
None
                               

Capital Contributions:

               
Company   Company        
Contributing   Receiving   Amount of    
Capital   Capital   Capital Contribution  
None
             

ITEM 3. ASSOCIATE TRANSACTIONS (in thousands)

Part I. Transactions performed by reporting companies on behalf of associate companies

                                 
Reporting Company   Associate Company   Types of Services   Direct Costs   Indirect Costs   Cost of   Total Amount
Rendering Services   Receiving Services   Rendered   Charged   Charges   Capital   Billed
Columbia Gulf
Transmission
  Columbia Deep Water   Operation &
Maintenance
  $ 11     -   -   $ 11  
 

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ITEM 3. ASSOCIATE TRANSACTIONS (continued) (in thousands)

Part II. Transactions performed by associate companies on behalf of reporting companies

                                                 
Associate Company   Reporting Company     Types of Services     Direct Costs     Indirect Costs     Cost of     Total Amount  
Rendering Services   Receiving Services     Rendered     Charged     Charges     Capital     Billed  
NiSource Corporate
  Columbia Atlantic                                        
Services Company
  Trading   Administrative   $ 1                 $ 1  
 
                                               
Columbia Gulf
          Operation &                                
Transmission
  Columbia Deep Water   Maintenance   $ 11                 $ 11  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate Services Company
  Columbia Deep Water   Administrative   $ 2                 $ 2  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate
  Columbia Energy                                        
Services Company
  Services   Administrative   $ 72                 $ 72  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate
  Columbia Gas                                        
Services Company
  Transmission   Administrative   $ 11,656                 $ 11,656  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate
  Columbia Gulf                                        
Services Company
  Transmission   Administrative   $ 2,898                 $ 2,898  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate Services Company
  EnergyUSA-TPC   Administrative   $ 353                 $ 353  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate Services Company
  Granite State Gas   Administrative   $ 112                 $ 112  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate Services Company
  Crossroads Pipeline   Administrative   $ 96                 $ 96  
 
                                               
NiSource Corporate
  NiSource Retail                                        
Services Company
  Service Company   Administrative   $ 314                 $ 314  


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ITEM 4. SUMMARY OF AGGREGATE INVESTMENT (in thousands)

                         
Investments in energy-related companies:
                       
Total consolidated capitalization as of December 31, 2004
  $ 9,704,086             Line 1
 
                       
Total capitalization multiplied by 15% (line 1 multiplied by 0.15)
  $ 1,455,613             Line 2
 
                       
Greater of $50 million or line 2
          $ 1,455,613     Line 3
 
                       
Total current aggregate investment: (categorized by major line of energy-related business)
                       
Energy-related services
  $ 10                  
 
                     
Total current aggregate investment
          $ 10     Line 4
 
                     
Difference between the greater of $50 million or 15% of capital- ization and the total aggregate investment of the registered holding company system (line 3 less line 4)
          $ 1,455,603     Line 5
 
                       
Investments in gas-related companies:
                       
Total current aggregate investment: (categorized by major line of energy-related business)
                       
Energy-related business
  $                  
 
                     
Total current aggregate investment
          $          
 
                     

ITEM 5. OTHER INVESTMENTS (in thousands)

                         
    Other Investment in     Other Investment in     Reason for  
Major Line of Energy-   last U-9C-3 Report     this U-9C-3 Report     difference  
Related Business *   (in thousands)     (in thousands)     in Other Investment  
Gas Pipeline and Pipeline
                       
Development
  $ 2,216,547     $ 2,084,676       a  
Other Gas-Related Business
                 
Gas and Power Marketing
  $ 449,503     $ 473,328       b  
Other Energy-Related Business
  $ 473,903     $ 468,215       c  

*   For Columbia, the scope of the reporting of other investments includes investments, including gas-related guarantees, made before February 14, 1997, in pre-existing subsidiaries that could have been acquired pursuant to Rule 58 (b) (2). For NiSource Inc. the scope of the reporting of other investments includes investments made prior to 11-1-00 (date on which NiSource became a registered holding company) in pre-existing subsidiaries that could have been acquired pursuant to Rule 58 (b) (2).
 
a.   In the fourth quarter of 2004, Columbia Gas Transmission and Columbia Gulf Transmission’s long-term debt was reduced by 138,083 in total due to being reclassified as current, Columbia Gas Transmission and Columbia Gulf Transmission received an additional paid in capital issuance from Columbia parent totaling $2,212 thousand, and Columbia Atlantic Trading’s long-term debt increased $4,000 thousand due to intercompany issuances and transfers.
 
b.   In the fourth quarter of 2004, guaranties for EnergyUSA-TPC and Northern Indiana Trading increased $23,800 thousands due to an increase in activity, and EnergyUSA-TPC and Northern Indiana Trading received an equity contribution via a tax savings allocation totaling $15 thousand.
 
c.   In the fourth quarter of 2004, Columbia Energy Services received an equity contribution via a tax savings allocation of $1,315 thousand, Columbia Energy Services guarantees decreased $6,169 thousand which decrease over time as performance occurs, and the investment in SunPower Corp was sold.

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ITEM 6. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

Not required for the fourth quarter.

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EXHIBITS

1.   Copies of contracts required to be provided by Item 3 shall be filed as exhibits.
 
    NOT APPLICABLE
 
2.   Certificate stating that a copy of the reports for the previous quarter has been filed with interested state commissions shall be filed as an exhibit. The certificate shall provide the names and addresses of the state commissions.
 
    EXHIBIT A

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

         
      NiSource Inc
      (Registrant)
 
       
Date: March 18, 2005
  By:   /s/ Jeffrey W. Grossman
 
      Jeffrey W. Grossman
Vice President
(Principal Accounting Officer
and Duly Authorized Officer)

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EXHIBIT A

CERTIFICATE

NiSource’s Quarterly Report on Form U-9C-3 filed pursuant to Rule 58 for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 was filed with each state commission having jurisdiction over the retail rates of the public utility companies that are associate companies of any of the reporting companies.

The names and addresses of each such state utility commission is:

Public Service Commission of Maryland
6 St. Paul Centre
Baltimore, MD 21202

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
180 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
901 North 7th Street Rear
Harrisburg, PA 17105-3265

Virginia State Corporation Commission
1300 East Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
302 West Washington Street, Room E 306
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Maine Public Utilities Commission
242 State Street
Augusta, ME 04333

Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications & Energy
One South Station
Boston, MA 02110

New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
8 Old Suncook Road
Concord, NH 03301

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