Endorsed

The Bush administration has endorsed the construction of an Alaskan natural gas pipeline, but not the tax subsidies that the Senate has offered in its omnibus energy bill as “carrots” to get the proposed line up and running and serving the Lower 48 gas markets within the next decade.

A federal bankruptcy judge in New York last week endorsed Enron Corp.’s selection of bankruptcy specialist Stephen F. Cooper as acting CEO of the embattled company, after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) abandoned its opposition to his appointment.

FERC commissioners last week endorsed an inquiry into a staff proposal that calls for the Commission to convert full requirements (FR) service on the El Paso Natural Gas system to contract demand (CD) service, a move that potentially could resolve a long-simmering dispute over capacity allocation on the pipeline.

FERC commissioners Wednesday endorsed an inquiry into a staff proposal that calls for the Commission to convert full requirements (FR) service on the El Paso Natural Gas system to contract demand (CD) service, a move that potentially could resolve a long-simmering dispute over capacity allocation on the pipeline.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week endorsed acustomer-friendly interconnction plan by Commonwealth Edison,calling it “another critical step” toward getting new merchantpower plants on the transmission grid.

Staff of the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recommendCMP Natural Gas (CMPNG) be allowed to serve “un-served” areas ofGorham and Westbrook, ME, as well as serve Calpine’s proposed540-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Westbrook. Last July, CMPNGand Calpine signed a long-term contract to provide gas deliveryservice contingent upon PUC approval. Construction of Calpine’s$200 million electric generating facility is under way and willrequire gas service by June 1.

In a key move last week, the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission endorsed an innovative hourly firm transportation (HFT)service that will enable a gas pipeline to quickly respond to thepeaking needs of power generators. With this action, Reliant EnergyGas Transmission – which proposed the service – becomes the firstpipe to move away from the traditional daily and monthlytransportation markets.

Several House lawmakers have endorsed legislation that isdesigned to provide “some real relief” to small oil and natural gasproducers that have been “so hard hit” by the historically lowcrude oil prices.