Aide

Larry Persily, a former aide to ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has been nominated by President Obama as federal coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects. In addition, Patricia Hoffman was nominated to helm the Office of Electricity and Energy Reliability, which has been tasked with creating a smart power grid for the nation. Persily, a former journalist in Alaska, worked for more than 10 years on gas and oil issues for three of the state’s governors, including Palin. Hoffman, a longtime Department of Energy (DOE) official, would serve as assistant secretary for electricity and energy reliability. She has 14 years of experience at the department.

The Senate Agriculture Committee Monday approved President Obama’s choice for chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), voting out the nomination to the full Senate for confirmation.

Comprehensive energy legislation appears dead this year, said a Republican press aide for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee late Monday. This would be a major setback for Capitol Hill Republicans and President Bush, who has pressed for national energy legislation since he took office.

“It’s not as if this is the Grand Canyon,” said a former energy spokesman for the Bush campaign in response to an assault on the president’s proposal to open up the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and natural gas exploration and development.

“It’s not as if this is the Grand Canyon,” said a former energy spokesman for the Bush campaign in response to an assault on the president’s proposal to open up the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and natural gas exploration and development.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) has dropped the civilfraud charges against a former Canadian Embassy aide pending theoutcome of negotiations between her and her attorney and theproducer group.