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

The answer is E

"The merger" is singular
There are 2 companies that are being merged
a) leading electric company
b) leading gas company

E seems to be the best