Clearly

Financial analysts and El Paso Corp. executives greeted the long-awaited decision by FERC Chief ALJ Curtis Wagner Jr. last week in the high-profile big rigging and price manipulation case as extremely positive for El Paso, even though the judge didn’t completely exonerate the company.

Mirant Corp. said on Thursday that while it “clearly regretted” the explosion that occurred at 11:45 a.m. on May 16 at Unit #5 of its 447 MW New York plant in Tomkins Cove, near Stony Point (see Daily GPI, May 17), it would like to emphasize that there is no evidence the explosion has posed, or is posing any sort of threat to public health or safety.

In a place where he could put his point across no more clearly — a room full of Associated Press journalists — Vice President Dick Cheney last Monday used a Canadian pulpit to begin the official push for advancing the Bush Administration’s official energy policy. Cheney noted that without a solid energy plan, the entire country faces future energy shortages similar to California’s current crisis.

The frenzied pace of pipeline expansion in the West clearly is not over yet. PG&E Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) is planning another major expansion, potentially 500 MMcf/d, with a targeted in-service date of November 2003.

The frenzied pace of pipeline expansion in the West clearly is not over yet. PG&E Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) is planning another major expansion, potentially 500 MMcf/d, with a targeted in-service date of November 2003.

In a place where he could put his point across no more clearly — a room full of Associated Press journalists — Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday used a Canadian pulpit to begin the official push for advancing the Bush Administration’s official energy policy. Cheney noted that without a solid energy plan, the entire country faces future energy shortages similar to California’s current crisis.

There’s one key requirement when building merchant power plants in Texas: think big, real big. FPL Energy LLC clearly followed that condition in announcing yesterday that it will take a lead role in building a 1,789 MW gas-fired merchant plant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It will be one of the largest independent generation projects in the state.

While careful not to use the word “re-regulation” CaliforniaGov. Gray Davis on Monday clearly indicated his desire to give thestate more direct control over energy operators, utilities and theusage of all the state’s 34 million residents (see Daily GPI, Jan. 9). He barely had time to clarify orget reactions for his plans before flying to Washington, D.C., wherelate Tuesday he huddled with Clinton Administration and industryofficials.

Gas producers must be wringing their hands in glee as futuresprices top $4.45/MMBtu, but some of their customers clearly are alittle less than overjoyed. High gas prices are forcing somefertilizer producers to consider shutting down their plants andselling their feedstock on the open market just to make ends meet.