Convene

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered its staff Wednesday to convene a technical conference to address Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America’s (NGPL) proposed tariff revisions to its creditworthiness standards, noting that the changes being sought “may be unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory or otherwise unlawful.”

As another week passed without a settlement among state political, regulatory and energy stakeholders, California state officials continued to push on with investigations and proposed punitive legislative measures aimed at merchant generators and marketers that are accused of price-gouging in the state’s wholesale power and natural gas markets.

Governors from across the United States are expected to convene in Columbus, OH, Sept. 20 at a summit to discuss the high natural gas prices and supply challenges facing consumers this winter. The meeting will also address long-term state and federal gas policy, such as human resource needs in the domestic petroleum industry, tax incentives and access to public lands for gas drilling.

Governors from across the United States are expected to convenein Columbus, OH, Sept. 20 at a summit to discuss the high naturalgas prices and supply challenges facing consumers this winter. Themeeting will also address long-term state and federal gas policy,such as human resource needs in the domestic petroleum industry,tax incentives and access to public lands for gas drilling.

FERC has called on staff to convene a technical conference toreview various options to “resolve the jurisdictional and policyissues” posed by the proposed TriState Pipeline project. TheCommission issued an order calling for the conference after itfailed to act last week on TriState’s request for “expeditedrehearing” of a May decision in which it shelved theChicago-to-Dawn Hub project as proposed and suggested other optionsfor the sponsors to pursue.

FERC yesterday ordered a settlement judge to convene aconference on Texas Eastern Transmission’s settlement proposal thatprofesses to save the pipeline’s customers more than $260 millionby the end of 2003.