Xcel Energy filed with Colorado regulators for approval of a $52.7 million rate increase to cover the utility’s updated forecast of fuel and purchased energy prices for the second quarter of this year and an undercollection for the first quarter. It asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to make the increase effective April 1. Minneapolis-based Xcel said the electric commodity adjustment (ECA) filing is estimated to drive up residential and small business customer bills an average of 8%. The ECA portion of Xcel customers’ electric bills would increase to 3.73 cents/kWh in the second quarter, compared to 2.93 cents/kWh currently. For the typical residential customer, bills would increase by about $5.18 monthly to around $71.53. Small businesses face a monthly increase of $9.21, taking the average bill to more than $122. Costs associated with increase or decreases through the ECA are passed through on a dollar-per-dollar basis.
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Securing Gas Supplies Vexing Alaska Utilities
Alaska’s ENSTAR Natural Gas Co. is resorting to a previously unused tariff provision to secure gas supplies to cover what would be a 2.1 Bcf shortfall this year and a potential 9 Bcf shortfall in 2010. Meanwhile, contract talks between Anchorage-based Chugach Electric Association, the state’s largest electric utility, and a trio of Cook Inlet gas producers are at a stalemate over how supplies should be priced.
Alaska Utilities Face Supply Challenges as Contracts Wind Down
Alaska’s ENSTAR Natural Gas Co. is resorting to a previously unused tariff provision to secure gas supplies to cover what would be a 2.1 Bcf shortfall this year and a potential 9 Bcf shortfall in 2010. Meanwhile, contract talks between Anchorage-based Chugach Electric Association, the state’s largest electric utility, and a trio of Cook Inlet gas producers are at a stalemate over how supplies should be priced.
NiSource Takes a Hit on Nonoperating Earnings
Due to an adjustment in reserves to cover its potential liability in an ongoing royalties lawsuit, NiSource Inc. last week reported a net loss of more than $200 million for the second quarter. The company’s net earnings from continuing operations were on the plus side but they were below year-ago results for the quarter, with natural gas and power distribution down and transmission and storage showing an increase.
NiSource Takes a Hit on Nonoperating Earnings
Due to an adjustment in reserves to cover its potential liability in an ongoing royalties lawsuit, NiSource Inc. recorded a second quarter net loss of more than $200 million. The company’s net earnings from continuing operations were on the plus side but they were below year-ago results for the quarter, with natural gas and power distribution down and transmission and storage showing an increase.
BLM’s South-Central Utah RMP Could Expand Drilling
Five different land use plans (LUP) now in place in the south-central part of Utah that cover about 554,000 acres of public land surface estate administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may be exchanged for one all-encompassing resource management plan (RMP). Under BLM’s preferred alternative, about 48% of the publicly administered land in the Kanab, UT, region would be open for oil and natural gas leasing.
NEB Says Gas Export Capacity Adequate Despite Oil Conversion
Canada will have enough spare natural gas export capacity to cover for another North American natural supply emergency like the 2005 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico, even if a proposed pipeline conversion to oil service goes ahead, the National Energy Board (NEB) says.
NEB Says Gas Export Capacity Adequate Despite Oil Conversion
Canada will have enough spare natural gas export capacity to cover for another North American natural supply emergency like the 2005 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico, even if a proposed pipeline conversion to oil service goes ahead, the National Energy Board (NEB) says.
NGI The Weekly Gas Market Report
NERC Board OKs 13 New Reliability Standards, Changes to Three Existing Rules
The board of trustees of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) last week approved 13 new reliability standards and approved revisions to three existing standards. The standards cover seven critical reliability areas: vegetation management, facility ratings, transfer capabilities, reliability coordination, verification of generator capabilities, transmission and generation protection systems and undervoltage load shedding.
Xcel Seeks 11% Colorado Gas Hike in November
Minnesota-based Xcel Energy, the holding company for the largest utility in Colorado, last Tuesday proposed an 11% increase for natural gas to cover its increased wholesale costs for the fuel. Together with the expected large increase in gas consumption with the outset of the winter months, the utility said customer bills could zoom up by 104% for typical residential customers and 94% for small businesses. If approved by state regulators, the higher rates would be effective Nov. 1.
