Challenged

A legislator in the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Monday said the state Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) decision to withhold nearly $1 million in impact fee revenue from four townships amounted to extortion.

The Appalachian Basin has ample amounts of undeveloped ethane and no nearby place to sell it, but the numerous proposals to ship it to move it elsewhere remain challenged by the marketplace, several project sponsors told an audience in Pittsburgh on Oct. 21.

Although Norse Energy Corp. ASA has put most of its leasehold in New York up for sale, the company said it hopes to continue doing business in the state — especially through a joint venture (JV) — and is currently in negotiations with several interested parties over its assets.

Despite a large supply of ethane in the Appalachian Basin and no nearby place to put it, several projects to ship the commodity out of the region are challenged by the complexities of the marketplace, according to several project sponsors.

As state officials debate whether to extend an electric utility surcharge, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has challenged state legislators for diverting $155 million in natural gas ratepayer-collected surcharge funds to help cut the state’s gaping budget deficit earlier this year.

A think tank is questioning the importance of Marcellus Shale development in Pennsylvania’s employment picture.

A congressional push to increase regulations on hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) would have little impact on Pennsylvania, according to a regional director of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) has dropped a two-year-old lawsuit against state regulators that had challenged more stringent drilling rules.

An independent consumer unit at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Thursday challenged the results claimed by private sector utility multi-billion-dollar energy efficiency programs and urged consumers to attend one of two public hearings the CPUC has scheduled for Monday (Los Angeles) and Tuesday (San Diego). Regulators have designated the meetings as “public participation hearings” for the major utilities’ $4 billion 2009-2011 efficiency programs.