Decisions

In a pair of decisions likely to hinder natural gas development in portions of Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell placed a moratorium on drilling on state forest land and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a new policy requiring well operators working on state park and forest land to identify all areas of their tracts that will be disturbed by development activities.

Policymakers should avoid making regulatory decisions only to satisfy the public’s appetite for swift retribution following the Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) because “excessively stringent” rules could result in costs increasing to the point that it becomes uneconomical to drill in deep waters, according to a study published last week (see related story).

Policymakers should avoid making regulatory decisions only to satisfy the public’s appetite for swift retribution following the Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) because “excessively stringent” rules could result in costs increasing to the point that it becomes uneconomical to drill in deep waters, according to a new study.

Xcel Energy anticipates having Colorado regulatory decisions later this year on its purchase of two natural gas-fired generation plants and its plans to retrofit or replace up to 900 MW of coal-fired generation in the Denver area. The Minneapolis-based utility holding company also expects to start commercial operations at its Comanche III coal-fired plant in Pueblo, CO, in May.

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, acting as Motions Commissioner, last Tuesday overrturned and stayed decisions by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in a Section 5 complaint proceeding involving Northern Natural Gas Co.

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, acting as Motions Commissioner, Tuesday overrturned and stayed decisions by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in a Section 5 complaint proceeding involving Northern Natural Gas Co.

FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, acting as Motions Commissioner, Tuesday overrturned and stayed decisions by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in a Section 5 complaint proceeding involving Northern Natural Gas Co.

Most fund managers are not factoring climate trends into their short- and long-term investment decisions, according to a report issued last week by a Boston-based clean tech consortium. A preoccupation with short-term results is part of the problem, the report said.

Most fund managers are not factoring climate trends into their short- and long-term investment decisions, according to a new report released by a Boston-based clean tech consortium. A preoccupation with short-term results is part of the problem, the report said.