Deregulation

The federal government’s current social cost of carbon estimates, which are used to calculate regulatory impact analyses for energy and other projects, are far lower than its prior estimates, due to Trump administration changes to the formula, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).  While both current and previous were calculated…

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) moved the state further toward retail deregulation last week, approving settlements with Dominion East Ohio Gas and Columbia Gas of Ohio that would allow the local distribution companies (LDC) to gradually move out of the merchant function starting with nonresidential customers.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) moved the state further toward retail deregulation this week, approving settlements with Dominion East Ohio Gas and Columbia Gas of Ohio that would allow the local distribution companies (LDC) to gradually move out of the merchant function starting with nonresidential customers.

Coming down hard on a few of the state’s natural gas marketers on allegations that they violated the Natural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act and the Natural Gas Consumers’ Relief Act, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has reached a settlement with Georgia Natural Gas (GNG), but will hold hearings this spring related to SCANA Energy after the marketer rejected the commission’s proposed settlement.

Coming down hard on a few of the state’s natural gas marketers on allegations that they violated the Natural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act and the Natural Gas Consumers’ Relief Act, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has reached a settlement with Georgia Natural Gas (GNG), but will hold hearings this spring related to SCANA Energy after the marketer rejected the commission’s proposed settlement, it said Thursday.

With experience in retail energy markets going back to the start of natural gas deregulation, the two executives tapped by the board at Costa Mesa, CA-based Commerce Energy Group, Inc. to return the national electric/natural gas retail marketer to profitability have long energy ties to Texas and California. Commerce Energy is the result of several acquisitions and mergers over the past two years as it has tried to turn profitable in seven states with retail competition in the natural gas and/or electricity industries.

Nearly four years after retail gas market deregulation allowed residential customers across Georgia to buy gas from alternative suppliers, complaints have slowed to a trickle and the state legislature and staff of the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) have been able to turn to fine-tuning the system.

In contrast to energy deregulation skepticism that has become prevalent in various states following the California debacle, more than three out of four Virginians say they are interested in the Commonwealth’s move to a competitive energy supply market, according to the latest Virginia Energy Choice (VEC) survey. The results show an increase from another survey taken earlier this year.

California’s energy crisis and the record high gas prices last winter have stalled energy deregulation and competition in retail natural gas markets, according to the latest statistics from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In contrast to predictions made one year ago by the American Gas Association (AGA) that nearly 50% of the residential gas customers in the nation were, or soon would be able to choose from competing retail suppliers, only about 27% are able to do so today and just 6% are actively participating, according to the EIA data.