Democratic

Starting off on the wrong foot, Republican and Democratic congressional conferees directed to come up with a comprehensive energy bill reached the end of their first week of negotiations deeply divided over how to proceed in the second and third weeks. In addition, Senate leader Pete Domenici, R-NM, said he would stand by his deal to hold off FERC standard market design (SMD) action through 2006, and the administration published its energy bill wish list.

Starting off on the wrong foot, Republican and Democratic congressional conferees directed to come up with a comprehensive energy bill came to the end of their first week of conferring deeply divided over how to proceed in the second and third weeks.

Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee fought off Democratic efforts Wednesday to significantly expand FERC’s powers to punish “bad actors” who commit fraud and manipulation in the natural gas and electricity markets.

Republican and Democratic senators Tuesday drew lines in the sand over key amendments to strike a federal mandate for renewable energy from the omnibus energy bill (S. 517), and to regulate trading of over-the-counter (OTC) energy derivatives.

Two Democratic senators have urged FERC to set up a consumer advocate position at the Commission to watch over the electric industry and take action when there is a possibility that wholesale market manipulation has resulted in unjust and unreasonable power prices.

Democratic and Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Friday said that ongoing talks related to the mark-up of emergency legislation designed to provide relief to the troubled California wholesale energy markets would carry over into next week’s Congressional recess.

With the distraction of the Democratic Convention in town thisweek, Los Angeles elected officials face a critical vote today onthe city’s future strategy for remaining relatively energyindependent through its operation of the nation’s largest municipalelectric utility.

Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore’s proposed long-termenergy policy has elicited a ho-hum response from independent oiland natural gas producers, who contend it “falls far short” oninitiatives needed to boost domestic energy production.

Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore’s proposed long-termenergy policy has elicited a ho-hum response from independent oiland natural gas producers, who contend it “falls far short” oninitiatives needed to boost domestic energy production.