The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it will give the public more time to comment on a proposed rule that would overturn a Clinton administration ban on road building in the national forests, which had placed more than 58 million acres of forest lands off-limits to energy exploration and production, logging and other activities. The comment period, which was to expire on Sept. 14, has been extended until Nov. 15.
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Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), a vocal opponent of oil and natural gas drilling off the coast of Florida, announced Monday that he will not seek re-election when his current term expires in late 2004. Graham was elected to the Senate in 1986, and served as governor of the Sunshine State for eight years (1979-1987). He is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and also has served on several other committees during his three terms in the Senate — Energy and Natural Resources, Environmental and Public Works, Finance and Select Intelligence.
Preliminary Tally Affirms El Paso Board Election
A preliminary vote tabulation prepared by an independent inspector has affirmed that shareholders voted to elect all 12 of El Paso Corp.’s board of director nominees at the annual meeting in June. On the day of the annual meeting, Ronald Kuehn Jr., El Paso’s interim CEO, announced that the board had been elected in a close vote (see Daily GPI, June 18).
CA Governor Names Former Edison, Energy Services Exec to CPUC
In an election year move that is sure to stimulate commentary among political observers, California Gov. Gray Davis late Tuesday named a former utility executive and more recently an entrepreneur in the energy services business, Michael R. Peevey, to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), effective Saturday (March 9).
CA Attorney General to File Lawsuits Against Generators ‘Soon’
In a post-primary election political swing through the state last Wednesday, California’s Attorney General Bill Lockyer told news media his office is about to file lawsuits against merchant power generators stemming from last year’s electricity crisis. The legal actions could come as early as this week, but the reaction from the independent power producers’ association in the state was “we’ve heard this before.”
CA Governor Names Former Edison, Energy Services Exec to CPUC
In an election year move that is sure to stimulate commentary among political observers, California Gov. Gray Davis late Tuesday named a former utility executive and more recently an entrepreneur in the energy services business, Michael R. Peevey, to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), effective Saturday (March 9). Peevey will fill out the rest of the term of Richard Bilas who announced last week he was resigning at the end of the business day Friday. Bilas stuck around this week for a major vote the CPUC has scheduled for today on the regulators’ earlier suspension of direct access, retail customer choice.
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After 26 years of service, Energy West CEO and president Larry Geske announced he would not stand for re-election to the Great Falls, MT-based company’s board of directors and will retire in November. Geske said he plans to focus his time on personal and community projects. Edward Bernica, COO and CFO, has been appointed president and CEO effective immediately. Bernica has been CFO for five years and COO for two years. During Geske’s tenure, Energy West grew from a utility serving Great Falls to a company now serving customers throughout the inter-mountain west with natural gas, propane and electricity.
Sempra Champions National Energy Policy
Regardless of who wins this week’s presidential election, SanDiego-based Sempra Energy advocates an expanded national energypolicy and development of sufficient pipeline upgrades to ensurethat the nation’s gas infrastructure can support all of the newnatural gas-fired electric generating plants that are underconstruction or in development throughout the nation.
After Checking Higher, October Futures Settle Lower
Like a politician in an election year, the natural gas futuremarket had something for everyone yesterday as prices spiraledhigher early in the session on storm hype and short covering onlyto crumble at the end on slightly bearish storage numbers.
Californians Heap Blame on FERC
California lawmakers and regulators — testifying in a publicsession two months before the general election — heaped the blamefor the state’s skyrocketing power prices on the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission.