Appropriations

Because Congress has not yet passed a fiscal year 2003 appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) said it will assess and collect safety user fees from natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines based on fiscal year 2002 funding levels for now, and then later in 2003 will assess any increases in the fees that are authorized by lawmakers.

Because Congress has not yet passed a fiscal year 2003 appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) said it will assess and collect safety user fees from natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines based on fiscal year 2002 funding levels for now, and then later in 2003 will assess any increases in the fees that are authorized by lawmakers.

Even with the “full plate” of terrorist-related issues, appropriations bills and concerns about the economy before the Senate now, it should be able to act on the White House’s latest intended nominee for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Joseph T. Kelliher, before it adjourns for the year, a Senate committee press aide said. At the same time, the administration’s choice of Kelliher, a senior policy advisor at the Department of Energy (DOE), received high marks on Capitol Hill and from the energy industry last week.

Even with the “full plate” of terrorist-related issues, appropriations bills and concerns about the economy confronting the Senate now, it should be able to act on the White House’s latest intended nominee for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Joseph T. Kelliher, before it adjourns for the year, a Senate committee press aide said. At the same time, the administration’s choice of Kelliher, a senior policy advisor at the Department of Energy, for FERC received high marks on Capitol Hill and from the energy industry.

The U.S. Senate amended the Department of the Interior’sappropriations bill to include a provision for a two million barrelheating oil reserve in the Northeast. The House already hasauthorized creation of a permanent reserve but has not appropriatedfunds. A conference committee now will merge the two measures. Lastweek, the president ordered the Department of Energy to establish atemporary home heating oil reserve in time for use this winter.This week, DOE plans to advertise for bids to fill that stockpile.It intends to sell oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve inLouisiana in exchange for heating oil and storage capacity in theNortheast.

Senate Energy Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) last weekintroduced his National Energy Security Act of 2000, S. 2557, asan amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriationmeasure now before the Senate. He did so at the urging of MajorityLeader Trent Lott (R-MS), who supports the energy measure.

Legislation prescribing voluntary unbundling of Colorado’s gasdistribution industry has now gone to a state House appropriationscommittee. The sponsor of SB 153, Sen. David T. Owen, said heexpects it to pass with little or no trouble. Unlike legislationthat unbundled Georgia’s gas industry, the Colorado legislationdoes not delve into specifics of unbundling but rather leaves themup to the state Public Utility Commission (PUC).

Legislation prescribing voluntary unbundling of Colorado’s gasdistribution industry has now gone to a state House appropriationscommittee. The sponsor of SB 153, Sen. David T. Owen, said heexpects it to pass with little or no trouble. Unlike legislationthat unbundled Georgia’s gas industry, the Colorado legislationdoes not delve into specifics of unbundling but rather leaves themup to the state Public Utility Commission (PUC).