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


E

We need "gas company" and "electric company" to show that they both are different entities.ignore {A}

We need "is" as merger is singular; IGNORE {B}, {C}, {D}

{E}

vipulgoyal wrote: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


E

Options B, C and D are out because we require 'IS' with merger.

Option A is wrong because we require COMPANIES instead of COMPANY.
'AND' creates compound subject so the sentence could have been changed to 'the merger of nation's leading gas and electric companies is XXX', but it will change intended meaning.

In option E this issue gets resolved by mentioning COMPANY for both the types.