Asks

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations that Westar Energy Inc. made contributions to political groups linked with four prominent House Republicans last year in return for legislative favors, as well as donations to Ashcroft.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations that Westar Energy Inc. made contributions to political groups linked with four prominent House Republicans last year in return for legislative favors, as well as donations to Ashcroft.

Tractebel Energy Marketing Inc. (TEMI) has asked FERC to issue an emergency order directing a Texas natural gas storage facility to restore the marketer’s full storage service rights, cease threats to confiscate gas and to comply with recent agency decisions regarding credit assurances. The Houston-based marketer also is seeking relief from the Texas Railroad Commission, and has asked the U.S. District Court in Houston to issue a temporary restraining order to preserve Tractebel Energy Marketing’s storage rights and gas in storage.

California’s Gov. Gray Davis last week called on his state regulators to lower retail power charges statewide by about $1 billion, recognizing that reserves needed by the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) to pay off $12 billion in electricity revenue bonds have declined.

Citing newly released documents issued by FERC, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on Wednesday called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to investigate fraud and antitrust violations that may have occurred during the 2000-2001 western energy crisis.

Citing newly released documents issued by FERC, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on Wednesday called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to investigate fraud and antitrust violations that may have occurred during the 2000-2001 western energy crisis.

In responding to a complaint from British Columbia-based Powerex to have its collateral returned, the defunct and bankruptcy-restricted California Power Exchange (Cal-PX) fired back last Tuesday asking FERC to set generic guidelines on the distribution of nearly $1 billion in collateral from about 30 energy merchant sector participants that is held under Cal-PX’s caretaker administration. Cal-PX has made this same request in two other individual collateral cases brought before the Powerex one.

Echoing one another before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, representatives from production, pipeline and utility companies, as well the Energy Information Administration (EIA), agreed that the current high natural gas prices are a sign that the market is actually working — not broken as some suggest.

After months of posturing, the California Public Utility Commission on Thursday voted unanimously (5-0) to order Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. to file a formal restructuring of in-state transmission pipeline and storage system. The utility has 45 days to make the application, but it has been attempting a more streamlined “advice letter” approach on the subject for more than two years since the CPUC approved a comprehensive settlement on the matter.