Accepted

In what was a blow to “Panhandle complainants” and Midwest regulators, FERC has accepted and suspended for five months Southwest Gas Storage’s proposed rate increase to become effective Feb. 1, 2008, subject to refund and the outcome of a hearing, and denied the complainants’ renewed request for interim rate relief and expedited action on a complaint in which customers have accused the storage provider of charging excessive rates.

In what was a blow to “Panhandle complainants” and Midwest regulators, FERC Friday accepted and suspended for five months Southwest Gas Storage’s proposed rate increase to become effective Feb. 1, 2008, subject to refund and the outcome of a hearing, and denied the complainants’ renewed request for interim rate relief and expedited action on a complaint in which customers have accused the storage provider of charging excessive rates.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request by House members to examine the accuracy and effectiveness of the royalty collection system of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Services (MMS). The examination is part of a growing investigation into missing price thresholds on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore leases in 1998 and 1999.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request by House members to examine the accuracy and effectiveness of the royalty collection system of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Services (MMS). The examination is part of a growing investigation into missing price thresholds on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore leases in 1998 and 1999.

FERC last Wednesday accepted an agreement by Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power, units of Sierra Pacific Resources, with Enron Corp. that resolves issues outstanding from the 2000-2001 western energy crisis.

Rather than take mandatory action, Texas regulators on Wednesday accepted voluntary proposals by a number of state utilities pledging not to include post-Hurricane Katrina natural gas price spikes in their electric rates.

Despite its on again/off again relationship with petroleum futures, July natural gas accepted some peer pressure Tuesday as it dropped lower on its expiration. After notching a low of $6.900, July expired at $6.976, down 16.2 cents on the day.

FERC on Wednesday accepted a settlement in which The Williams Cos. has agreed to pay $7.6 million in refunds and civil penalties to resolve a staff investigation into the unlawful sharing of natural gas storage information.

In a complete about-face, FERC last Wednesday reversed an earlier order in which it accepted a complaint alleging that Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. and its gathering affiliate, Williams Field Services Co. (WFS), had engaged in “collusive behavior” by pushing gathering rates for service on a portion of the North Padre Island gathering facilities to monopolistic levels and violated requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).