Blocked

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked each and every turn by Democrats to make significant changes to a substitute electricity amendment offered by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) as part of the omnibus energy bill (S. 14).

A federal court in Washington, DC, has blocked the Interior Department from allowing energy exploration on thousands of acres of public lands on the eastern boundary of Utah’s Arches National Park.

A federal court in Washington, DC has blocked the Interior Department from allowing energy exploration on thousands of acres of public lands on the eastern boundary of Utah’s Arches National Park.

On a strictly partisan 3-2 vote, the California Public Utilities Commission last Wednesday blocked a proposed extension of pipeline capacity allocations to natural gas core aggregators on two western Canadian pipelines feeding Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s affiliate interstate transmission pipeline in the Pacific Northwest. The aggregators were seeking the same assurance of access to reasonably priced supplies that the core customers served by the utility already receive.

On a strictly partisan 3-2 vote, the California Public Utilities Commission Wednesday blocked a proposed extension of pipeline capacity allocations to natural gas core aggregators on two western Canadian pipelines feeding Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s affiliate interstate transmission pipeline in the Pacific Northwest. The aggregators were seeking the same assurance of access to reasonably priced supplies that the core customers served by the utility already receive.

A federal judge has effectively blocked new drilling off the California coast, ruling that the state first has to decide whether future drilling would impair the surrounding environment. The ruling comes on the heels of scheduled public hearings this month on the Minerals Management Service’s draft environmental impact statement covering proposed drilling offshore Santa Barbara (see NGI, June 25).

A federal judge last week effectively blocked new drilling off the California coast, ruling that the state first has to decide whether future drilling would impair the surrounding environment. The ruling comes on the heels of scheduled public hearings in July on the Minerals Management Service’s draft environmental impact statement covering proposed drilling offshore Santa Barbara (see Daily GPI, June 19).

On a strictly partisan 3-2 vote, California regulators Thursdayblocked attempts by the state’s two near-bankrupt investor-ownedutilities to cut their work forces and services in order toconserve cash while awaiting a settlement with the state on theirfuture financial viability. Responding to an emergency request froma coalition of utility workers’ unions, the California PublicUtilities Commission’s (CPUC) action means proposed staffinglayoffs of several thousand regular and contract workers, totalinghundreds of millions of dollars in operating costs, will nothappen.

Blocked in its bid for neighboring Southwest Gas, Austin,TX-based Southern Union Co. focused on the East, picking upapproval from its board of directors and that of the Fall River GasCo., on a merger agreement.