Ease

As an outgrowth of the winter-spring energy price and supply crunch that spawned a statewide emergency and two special sessions of the state legislature, California wound up this week with two new bills designed to promote cheaper, more reliable natural gas supplies. Gov. Gray Davis signed the bills (AB 1233 and AB 21XX) over the weekend.

After carving out a wide, 57-cent trading range over the previous two sessions, natural gas futures stayed close to home Friday as many traders choose to wait on the sidelines until a clearer fundamental picture develops. The September contract finished at $3.303, down 6.4 cents for the day, but up 26.3 cents for the week.

The Department of Defense (DOD) could potentially reduce demand on the western power grid by generating 90 MW of electricity and implementing conservation initiatives, although the use of DOD assets raises environmental and mission concerns, the General Accounting Office (GAO) recently told Congress. The GAO also said that although significant private back-up generation capacity exists in California its potential use is limited due to business and environmental risks.

The Department of Defense (DOD) could potentially reduce demand on the western power grid by generating 90 MW of electricity and implementing conservation initiatives, although the use of DOD assets raises environmental and mission concerns, the General Accounting Office (GAO) recently told Congress. Meanwhile, the GAO also said that although significant private back-up generation capacity exists in California, its potential use is limited due to business and environmental risks.

Freeing up 27 Bcf of supplies in an idle Southern California Gas Co. underground storage facility this summer could help further reduce natural gas prices in California this summer, the state’s chief energy regulatory agency said Wednesday. It is one of several items on the California Public Utilities Commission agenda for today that are aimed at easing the summer electricity supply and price crisis.

Alcoa Inc. has recently agreed to shut down an energy-intensive aluminum smelter in Washington to help ease the growing power crunch in the Pacific Northwest region.

Alcoa Inc. has agreed to temporarily shut down an energy-intensive aluminum smelter to help ease the growing power crunch in the Pacific Northwest region.

After a weather-delayed opening, natural gas futures checkedmostly sideways Tuesday despite the presence of some moderatelybullish weather and storage news. After carving out its narrow5.5-cent trading range during the first 30 minutes of trading, theApril contract shuffled sideways to close 2.1 cents lower at$5.315.

The best way to ease the burden of high natural gas costs is tolet producers produce and not overly regulate generators, industryofficials told the Texas Railroad Commission this week. The TRC,which is preparing recommendations on the state’s natural gasmarket, will hear testimony from stakeholders again Thursday beforefinalizing its recommendations for state legislators.