Administration

Researchers and scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are monitoring the formation of a possible weak El Nino and predict that the United States could experience very weak-to-marginal impacts late winter to early spring 2002, which typically means a colder, wetter winter. However, recent indications show a more neutral El Nino pattern developing, NOAA said. As a result, forecasters, such as EarthSat, now are predicting normal to slightly below normal temperatures this winter.

Researchers and scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are monitoring the formation of a possible weak El Nino and predict that the United States could experience very weak-to-marginal impacts late winter to early spring 2002, which typically means a colder, wetter winter. However, recent indications show a more neutral El Nino pattern developing, NOAA said. As a result, forecasters, such as EarthSat, now are predicting normal to slightly below normal temperatures this winter.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has signaled that he will step up efforts to lobby his brother’s administration to deny drilling permits in the Destin Dome gas field off of the state’s coast, where three major producers own 11 leases that have sat idle for more than a decade.

Tulsa-based ONEOK Inc. has promoted Ed Farrell, president of Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. (ONGC) to senior vice president administration. The promotion takes effect Sept. 1. Farrell, 58, has been with ONEOK since 1995. Sam Combs, now western region vice president of ONGC, will become president of ONGC, and Combs will be succeeded by Dan Walker, now vice president of operations for ONGC and Kansas Gas Service Co. Roger Mitchell, manager of corporate communications and advertising for ONEOK, also was promoted to eastern region vice president of ONGC.

Faced with severe drought conditions and skyrocketing wholesale electricity market prices, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on Monday warned that it may be forced to increase wholesale rates by 250% or more after Oct. 1, unless the region’s retail utilities and large industrial customers step up to the plate and agree to slash energy use within the next 60 days.

Having reached the halfway point of its goal of 2,400 MW of load reductions in the near future, the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) acting administrator Steve Wright earlier this week urged utilities and industries that have yet to commit to reduce their power purchases from BPA to get off the sidelines and do so. Daily GPI April 11

Facing the prospect of Davis administration regulators sacking electric retail competition, an alliance of large and small interests Tuesday urged California officials to consider alternatives that do not require shutting down the last vestiges of its 1996 restructuring law permitting direct access contracts.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) wants answers from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) about Morgan Stanley’s purchase of long-term transmission capacity owned by BPA’s transmission line. Among other things, the Oregon lawmaker argues in a recent letter to BPA’s acting administrator that Morgan Stanley’s utilization of only a small fraction of the capacity it purchased could be a sign that the financial services company is attempting to exert market power.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) wants answers from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) related to Morgan Stanley’s purchase of long-term transmission capacity owned by BPA’s transmission line. Among other things, the Oregon lawmaker argues in a recent letter to BPA’s acting administrator that Morgan Stanley’s utilization of only a small fraction of the capacity it purchased could be a sign that the financial services company is attempting to exert market power.