Cleared

After being cleared by FERC and the U.S. Coast Guard last week, the mothballed Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the eastern shore of Maryland received its commissioning LNG shipment Friday.

The political decks have been cleared for the long-awaited construction application for a Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline with a land and economic-assistance agreement entered into by the Canadian government with the last resisting aboriginal group. While some financial and tax details remain to be worked out, project sponsors predicted an in-service date of 2008 for the estimated C$4 billion (US$2.6 billion) line from the far north to northwestern Alberta.

The political decks have been cleared for the long-awaited construction application for a Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline with a land and economic-assistance agreement entered into by the Canadian government with the last resisting aboriginal group. While some financial and tax details remain to be worked out, project sponsors predicted an in-service date of 2008 for the estimated C$4 billion (US$2.6 billion) line from the far north to northwestern Alberta.

Susan Kennedy was quickly cleared by the Senate Rules Committee for confirmation as the new commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission. Statewide consumer, utility and environmental groups appeared to support the appointment of the former Democratic Party and governor’s adviser. Confirmation by the full Senate is expected later this month. In part of her questioning, Kennedy said she was unhappy with the level of the so-called exit fees assigned late last year by the CPUC for direct access customers in California. At their current levels, she said it would take 10 to 20 years for bundled utility customers to get their fair share from the customers buying their own power supplies from third-party providers.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has given prelimary approval to development plans for as many as 66,000 coalbed methane (CBM) wells in Wyoming and Montana, advising in two final environmental impact statements (FEIS) that with specified mitigation the wells can be accommodated without undue damage to the environment.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has given prelimary approval to development plans for as many as 66,000 coalbed methane (CBM) wells in Wyoming and Montana, advising in two final environmental impact statements (FEIS) that with specified mitigation the wells can be accommodated without undue damage to the environment.

Following a year-long investigation, a Senate committee has cleared Robert Rubin, former Treasury Secretary and current Citigroup executive, and several other bankers of allegations that they acted illegally when they contacted government officials regarding Enron Corp. and its credit rating just weeks before the energy company filed for bankruptcy in December 2001.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the green light last week for Tuscarora Gas Transmission to put into operation the first phase of its system expansion in Nevada and California.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the green light this week for Tuscarora Gas Transmission to put into operation the first phase of its system expansion in Nevada and California.