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The Ohio Public Utility Commission approved Monongahela Power’selectric transition plan on the one year anniversary of the dayOhio’s electric restructuring bill took effect.

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.

Just as the Department of Energy (DOE) reacted to public outcryover high oil and gasoline prices, Energy Secretary Bill Richardsonand FERC need to find out why wholesale natural gas prices havesoared to more than $4 since the start of the year and preparecustomers for possibly higher gas bills next winter, a majormunicipal gas group said last week.

Just as the Department of Energy (DOE) reacted to public outcryover high oil and gasoline prices, Energy Secretary Bill Richardsonand FERC need to find out why wholesale natural gas prices havesoared to more than $4 since the start of the year and preparecustomers for possibly higher gas bills next winter, a majormunicipal gas group said yesterday.

Although U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has been soundingthe alarm all over the country about problems with the nation’selectric reliability because of at least six power outages thatoccurred last summer, several utility executives told the secretarylast week at a regional “summit meeting” in Newark, NJ, that theyare ready and waiting for the next summer demand peak.

Although U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has been sendingup red flags all over the country about problems with the nation’selectric reliability because of at least six power outages thatoccurred last summer, several Mid-Atlantic utility executives toldthe secretary yesterday at a regional “summit meeting” in Newark,NJ, that they are ready and waiting for the next summer demandpeak.

Department of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson last week likenedthe power industry to an old jalopy in desperate need of repair.

Department of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson likened the powerindustry to an old jalopy in desperate need of repair yesterday atan energy conference in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the NationalEnergy Marketers Association. He expressed concern that Congresshas not been too interested in moving power restructuringlegislation and said if legislation isn’t completed soon there willbe dire consequences. “My main message is that unless there isrestructuring soon there are going to be power outages in thiscountry,” Richardson said.

If a new study under way by the Department of Energy (DOE) showsmore natural gas pipelines are needed to the Northeast, SecretaryBill Richardson said he will go to Congress to promote the pipes tohelp reduce the region’s historic dependence on higher-pricedheating oil.