Sentence Correction

Unlike most other mergers in the utility industry, which have been driven by the need to
save money and extend companies' service areas, the merger of the nation's leading gas
and electric company is intended to create a huge marketing network for the utilities in
question with states opening their utility markets to competition.
A. and electric company is intended to create a huge marketing network for the
utilities in question with states opening
B. and electric companies are intended to create a huge network for marketing the
utilities in question as states open
C. and electric companies are intended to create a huge network that will be
marketing the utilities in question, with states opening
D. company and electric company are intending to create a huge marketing network
for the utilities in question, with states opening

E. company and leading electric company is intended to create a huge network for
marketing the utilities in question as states open

OA later

I vote for E for the correct usage of the two company names and the correct subject-verb agreement.