Agenda

Top House Republicans Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive energy reform agenda aimed at increasing all forms of domestic energy. They took shots at the Democratic leadership, claiming that not only has the party done little to alleviate energy prices, they have made them worse.

After being a point of focus on the Capitol Hill agenda for most of 2007, climate change legislation looks like it will continue to be a top priority in both the U.S. House and Senate during 2008, according to speakers at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) annual Winter Committee Meetings in Washington, DC, last Tuesday.

After being a point of focus on the Capitol Hill agenda for most of 2007, climate change legislation looks like it will continue to be a top priority in both the U.S. House and Senate during 2008, according to speakers at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) annual Winter Committee Meetings in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

Following years of record commodity prices and profits, the oil and natural gas industry is now traveling a bumpy road. The U.S. economy is weaker, climate change is on the agenda, access to reserves is tighter, output is lower and the workforce is smaller. For a smoother ride, energy executives Tuesday urged their peers to invest in technology, build on efficiency measures and begin partnering with stakeholders around the world.

As part of a full year-end consent agenda, California regulators Thursday quietly passed a number of items that in the past have drawn a lot of discussion — the leading one being technical changes to the massive 10-year California Solar Initiative (CSI) to bolster small, onsite distributed solar systems. At issue was cutting the program’s overall budget from around $3 billion to less than $2.5 billion. The effort is supposed to produce “a million solar roofs” with photovoltaic (PV) systems and 3,000 MW of solar-produced electricity.

Forecasts of Canadian gas supply declines are being exaggerated by an industry faction following an oil agenda, say opponents of a plan to convert part of the TransCanada PipeLines system to oil service.

Forecasts of Canadian gas supply declines are being exaggerated by an industry faction following an oil agenda, say opponents of a plan to convert part of the TransCanada PipeLines system to oil service.

At a meeting where natural gas dominated the agency’s agenda, FERC last Thursday looked favorably upon industry’s request for permanent regulatory and policy changes to promote the construction of interstate natural gas pipeline mainline expansions, certain storage facilities and takeaway facilities for liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals.

At a meeting where natural gas dominated the agency’s agenda, FERC on Thursday looked favorably upon industry’s request for permanent regulatory and policy changes to spur the construction of interstate natural gas pipeline mainline expansions, new storage capacity and takeaway facilities for liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals.