Barry Smitherman was appointed to the Railroad Commission of Texas for a term that is to expire at the next general election. Smitherman, who lives in Austin, TX, is chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, a position he has held since 2007. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy electricity advisory committee and a board member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He is vice president of the Southwest Power Pool regional state committee and an ex officio board member of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Smitherman received a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and a master of public administration from Harvard University.
Election
Articles from Election
People
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell on Thursday certified Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) the winner of the Nov. 2 election, clearing the way for her to be seated with the 112th Congress, which convenes Wednesday. But Republican Joe Miller hasn’t exactly given up the fight. He said he planned to hold a news conference on New Year’s day to discuss his next legal steps. Miller, an attorney who was backed by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, is challenging the votes that were counted in Murkowski’s favor despite the misspelling of her name. Write-in candidate Murkowski declared victory in late November with a more than 10,000-vote lead over Miller, of which more than 8,000 ballots were challenged by the Miller camp (see NGI, Nov. 22, 2010).
Atlas, Range CEOs Hail Election Results
Pennsylvania election results “were a good thing” for natural gas companies operating in the state, Atlas Resources President Richard Weber told a Marcellus Shale conference in Pittsburgh Wednesday.
Energy, Environment Seen as Back-Burner Issues After Elections
Republicans are expected to pick up a number of seats in Tuesday’s midterm election, potentially taking control of the House of Representatives and coming close to attaining majority in the Senate, according to energy analysts. Despite the anticipated shift in power, energy is likely to remain a back-burner issue in the lame-duck session and in fiscal year (FY) 2011.
Energy, Environment Seen as Back-Burner Issues After Elections
Republicans are expected to pick up a number of seats in the upcoming general election, taking control of the House of Representatives and coming close to attaining majority in the Senate, according to energy analysts. Despite the anticipated shift in power, energy is likely to remain a back-burner issue in the lame-duck session and in fiscal year (FY) 2011.
Pennsylvania Senate Debate of House-Approved Gas Tax Looms
With less than a month remaining before an election that could change the makeup of both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the state’s Republican-controlled Senate is preparing to take up legislation (SB 1155) approved last week by the Democratic-controlled House that would impose a 39 cents/Mcf (about 10%) severance tax on natural gas drilling in the state.
Climate Change Bill ‘D-E-A-D,’ Says Lobbyist
Two major pieces of legislation are likely to become law before members of this Congress go home for the closing rounds of their re-election campaigns, and neither of them is climate change. “DEAD, that’s D-E-A-D,” is how a veteran lobbyist described the legislation to a Process Gas Consumers (PGC) post-GasMart luncheon in Chicago Wednesday at the same time the latest climate change version was being introduced in the Senate.
McCain Favors ‘Drill Here Drill Now;’ Obama More Tepid
With the clock ticking down to election day, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last week tried to capture the vote of producers and other proponents of onshore and offshore drilling, saying that a McCain administration would support a policy of “drill here and drill now.”
Senate to Consider ‘Excessive’ Energy Speculation Bill
Driven by skyrocketing oil prices and howls of business and consumer pain heading into the November election, the Senate is expected to take up major legislation Tuesday designed to limit energy futures market speculation, which has been billed as one of the major causes of the high prices.
Senate to Consider ‘Excessive’ Energy Speculation Bill
Driven by skyrocketing oil prices and howls of business and consumer pain heading into the November election, the Senate is expected to take up major legislation Tuesday designed to limit energy futures market speculation, which has been attacked as one of the major causes of the high prices.