Bills

Lawmakers on a key committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved three “Marcellus Works” bills on Tuesday.

The past two years have been trying for BP plc, which has faced an onslaught of legal bills and payouts from the devastating 2010 Macondo well blowout in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM), but the producer is close to putting its troubles behind it, Group CEO Bob Dudley said last week.

The past two years have been trying for BP plc, which has faced an onslaught of legal bills and payouts from the devastating 2010 Macondo well blowout in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM), but the producer is close to putting its troubles behind it, Group CEO Bob Dudley said Tuesday.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports could cut residents and businesses oil-based energy bills in Hawaii substantially during the next 20 years, according to a University of Hawaii study. Potential savings were classified as “huge,” given gas-indexed pricing, but the report also acknowledged that LNG exports carry various risks, given sources, oil-gas price differences over time and the state’s level of energy demand reduction in future years.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports could cut residents and businesses oil-based energy bills in Hawaii substantially during the next 20 years, according to a University of Hawaii study. Potential savings were classified as “huge,” given gas-indexed pricing, but the report also acknowledged that LNG exports carry various risks, given sources, oil-gas price differences over time and the state’s level of energy demand reduction in future years.

Consumers could save billions on their electric bills if utilities used more long-term contracts, rather than spot market purchases, for natural gas for power generation, according to the American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF), a nonprofit natural gas advocacy group.

South Carolina political leaders are looking to the offshore for revenues from oil and natural gas drilling, proposing bills in the U.S. Senate and House to allow state officials to approve leasing off the South Carolina shore.

Portland, OR-based NW Natural retail residential and commercial/industrial customers will share in a $35 million one-time credit on their utility bills in June, resulting from the continuing drop in wholesale natural gas prices. The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved credits that will average $36.58 for residential customers and will range from $714 to $20,000 for industrial customers. The utility asked the PUC to approve the credit as a way of passing along lower gas price savings accumulated from Nov. 1, 2011 through March 31. State regulators also indicated that there may be another credit stemming from lower gas costs in the second quarter. In addition, the PUC approved a separate $3.1 million credit for storage and transportation activities that will further reduce the average residential customer’s June bill by nearly $10.

The House Monday overwhelmingly passed two bills that would exempt commercial end-users from margin requirements and ease regulations for affiliate transactions.