Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) said yesterday the Senate Energyand Natural Resources Committee plans to begin tackling the issueof transporting Alaska’s North Slope natural gas to the Lower 48market when Congress reconvenes in September.
Committee
Articles from Committee
Dingell Urges Major Review Of Office of Pipeline Safety
Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the HouseCommerce Committee, has called on Transportation Secretary RodneyE. Slater to undertake a “thorough review and restructuring” of thedepartment’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) in the wake of a newreport that contends OPS officials have become too cozy with thepipelines that they are supposed to bee regulating.
Dingell Urges Major Review of OPS
Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the HouseCommerce Committee, has called on Transportation Secretary RodneyE. Slater to undertake a “thorough review and restructuring” of thedepartment’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) in the wake of a newreport that contends the agency has become too cozy with thepipelines it is supposed to be regulating.
Senate Panel Passes Coalbed Methane Bill
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed S.1950, the Powder River Basin Resource Development Act, by a voicevote last week. Wyoming Sens. Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi said itprovides for the fair and expeditious resolution of conflictsbetween oil and gas producers and coal producers with overlappingleases in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and southern Montana.
Senate Panel Marks Up Coalbed Methane Bill
The U.S. Senate Energy Committee passed S. 1950, the PowderRiver Basin Resource Development Act, by a voice vote yesterday.Sens. Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi (R-WY) said it provides for thefair and expeditious resolution of conflicts between oil and gasproducers and coal producers with overlapping leases in the PowderRiver Basin in Wyoming and southern Montana.
Bliley: FERC, DOE Reliability Efforts ‘Fall Short’
House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas J. Bliley (R-VA) saysthat while the short-term fixes approved by FERC last week toprevent power outages this summer are laudable, he doubts they’llbe effective.
Industry Briefs
The Mid-Continent Area Power Pool (MAPP) executive committeeapproved the execution of the memorandum of understanding with theMid-America Interconnected Network (MAIN) to merge the reliabilityfunctions of the two organizations. The MAIN Board of Directorsapproved the memorandum on April 7. The goal is to have a jointregional reliability organization (RRO) in place by November. Theorganization will ensure standards compliance through auditing,planning and operating reserve requirements and will establishsanctions procedures to enforce compliance with reliabilitystandards. MAPP is an association of more than 90 electricutilities and other electric industry participants. MAIN is one of10 other regional reliability councils under the North AmericanElectric Reliability Council.
NPC Study Predicts 32% Gas Demand Increase
Members of the National Petroleum Council (NPC) overwhelminglyapproved a report last week by its natural gas committeeforecasting a 32% increase in gas demand over the next decade, andsaying the nation could get that gas for 40 to 50 cents less ifproducers are allowed to access currently restricted areas.
NPC Vows to Act on Gas Report Findings
Members of the National Petroleum Council (NPC) overwhelminglyapproved a report yesterday by its natural gas committeeforecasting a 32% increase in gas demand over the next decade.Titled “Meeting the Challenges of the Nation’s Growing Natural GasDemand,” the study will be used as a platform for member companiesto lobby for increased access to protected producing areas, morecomprehensive research and development projects and increasedfunding.
Colorado Unbundling Bill Awaits House Vote
Legislation prescribing voluntary unbundling of Colorado’s gasdistribution industry has now gone to a state House appropriationscommittee. The sponsor of SB 153, Sen. David T. Owen, said heexpects it to pass with little or no trouble. Unlike legislationthat unbundled Georgia’s gas industry, the Colorado legislationdoes not delve into specifics of unbundling but rather leaves themup to the state Public Utility Commission (PUC).