Deems

Continuing its regulatory crackdown on energy contracts that it deems act as “significant price discovery contracts” (SPDC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said it will include positions in the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) Henry Hub natural gas contract in its weekly Commitments of Traders (COT) reports.

After conducting its own research, the New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) said gas supplies are “sufficient” to meet forecasted demands of New York State customers this winter and prices are expected to be lower than last winter.

It’s been a little more than a week since the Intercontinental Exchange launched online energy trading among member companies, and the site already has posted $1 billion in energy transactions, putting the new exchange immediately into the running among major energy e-trading sites. The company claimed its first full week of energy trading was highly successful, with growing participation and expanding trade volumes.

MichCon officials announced a successful beginning to its pilotprogram yesterday, with 70,000 of their 75,000 eligible customerschoosing a newly introduced competing supplier in the first year ofa three-year program. Stephen E. Ewing, the president of theMichigan gas utility, said the results prove customer choiceprograms can work for the entire state.