Endorsed

With the incentive of job creation and the caveat of environmental protection, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper strongly endorsed the need for development of natural gas resources in his state and nationwide as part of his remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Bipartisan Governors Summit Monday in Washington, DC. Hickenlooper co-chaired the event.

The American Gas Association (AGA) has endorsed House legislation that would significantly raise annual funding for a federal program that provides assistance to low-income energy customers.

The American Gas Association (AGA) has endorsed House legislation that would significantly raise annual funding for a federal program that provides assistance to low-income energy customers.

The Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, which has long opposed offshore drilling, conditionally endorsed federal and state policies allowing the production of oil and natural gas from existing leases within the Gulf of Mexico at least 30 miles from the Florida coastline. The conditions include: Florida offshore drilling must be a component of a comprehensive energy policy; production facilities must incorporate the most advanced zero-discharge systems; Congress must allow for sharing of royalties between states and the federal government; a five-year moratorium on new leases in the eastern Gulf must be established so state officials can evaluate production safety and evaluate any impact on Florida’s natural resources; and the military mission of the Defense Department shall have the first priority in the Gulf offshore.

FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer endorsed the possibility of federal permitting of potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects that would apply a programmatic — as opposed to ad hoc, case-by-case — environmental review. Spitzer made his comments at the “Energy in California” conference Monday in San Francisco while responding to questions from participants in the Law Seminars International two-day meeting.

California regulators last Thursday unanimously approved a seven-year natural gas hedging program for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the first of its kind to be endorsed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC has been reviewing and approving the major utility’s hedging strategies on a year-to-year basis since 2005. As with the year-to-year plans, terms of the long-term plan are confidential.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signaled Monday that he endorsed a House Resources Committee budget proposal that would allow for oil and natural gas drilling in currently protected waters 125 miles off of the Sunshine State’s west coast.

Unocal Corp.’s board of directors has endorsed an increased takeover offer of $17 billion from Chevron Corp., potentially ending the fierce bidding war by China’s National Offshore Oil Co.(CNOOC) for the U.S. oil and natural gas company.

Draft legislation endorsed by Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal that would create an environmental fund to pay for unexpected impacts from the state’s burgeoning coalbed methane (CBM) development is under fire by the state’s influential oil and gas industry.