Congressional

Senate and House conferees reportedly are preparing to end two years of congressional debate with the recommendation of an energy bill unworthy of the name. In fact, the compromise bill that was expected to be proposed Tuesday would more aptly be called the pipeline safety and nuclear liability limitation extension bill.

Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-LA), who is leading the effort to reconcile the Senate and House energy bills, said Tuesday congressional negotiators expect to issue a conference report on omnibus energy legislation within two weeks. But the chief Senate negotiator, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), said while he hoped the conference report can be finished before Congress recesses next month, “I don’t want to be held to two weeks.”

In a congressional hearing that featured a thorough review of the El Paso market manipulation case and all the issues contributing to the serious natural gas market malfunction last year in California, FERC Chairman Pat Wood told a House Government Reform subcommittee chaired by Doug Ose (R-CA) that he does not see a need for new legislation.

Congressional passage of President Bush’s energy initiatives, as well as expanded free trade authority, will have a “great bearing” on the nation’s economy this year and beyond, Vice President Dick Cheney said in a speech Monday to the Southern Governors’ Association (SGA).

Fresh off of their latest Congressional recess, Democrats in the House of Representatives last week continued to round up support for a discharge petition that would force consideration of energy price-cap legislation on to the House floor. The Democrats now need less than 60 signatures from lawmakers in order to move the price-cap bill sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) directly to the House floor.

Congressional lawmakers from California and other western statesrenewed their pleas for aid from the Bush administration to end thepower crisis in their region during a House subcommittee hearinglast week.

Several congressional lawmakers from California yesterdayrenewed their pleas for help from the Bush administration to endthe power crisis in their home state, with some urging a Housesubcommittee to direct FERC to install caps on wholesale power inthe short term while others suggested adjusting Daylight SavingsTime in the region to conserve power.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Tony Garza warned the statelegislature and the Texas Congressional delegation last week of anexpected 55% increase in natural gas prices this winter for smallcustomers and the expected continuation of high prices for the nextyear to 18 months.

FERC announced yesterday it wants to hold a half-day publicconference Sept. 29 to address the “steady flow” of Congressionalinquiries into the Independence and MarketLink pipeline projects.The conference will be used to gather “supplemental information” onthe projects, but the Commission said it does not intend to reopenthe record on them.