Extent

Texas regulators are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss the extent to which the state’s electric retail providers should be able to recover post-Hurricane Katrina increases in natural gas prices in their electric rates. A number of utilities already have pledged not to include Katrina price spikes in their calculations.

If Senate Republicans vote to abolish filibusters for judicial nominations, it will “upset any chance for an energy bill soon” to emerge from the chamber, said a noted Washington, DC journalist and author last Wednesday.

The end of winter is still a couple of weeks away on the calendar, and the season’s physical existence is still very much in evidence in the Northeast and Midwest and to some extent in northerly sections of the South. Strong heating load in much of the East had prices on the rise Tuesday at all points and the continuation of cold weather is expected to combine with major gains in energy futures Tuesday to extend cash market firmness Wednesday.

Based largely on Tuesday’s screen run-up and to some extent on moderately increasing heating load in the West and some northern areas, swing prices rose Wednesday from a little less than a dime to about 45 cents. All but two points recorded double-digit gains.

Based largely on Tuesday’s screen run-up and to some extent on moderately increasing heating load in the West and some northern areas, swing prices rose Wednesday from a little less than a dime to about 45 cents. All but two points recorded double-digit gains.

The head of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) called on Congress Wednesday to do a study to determine “the extent to which pure speculation and market manipulation” were responsible for the run-up in natural gas prices over the past summer, while a representative of the consumer advocate group, Public Citizen, endorsed more government regulation and oversight to tame gas prices and the markets.

Due to the extent of work required at Muddy Gap Compressor Station (see Daily GPI, Dec. 27, 2002), throughput on the Wind River Lateral is expected to stay restricted to 225 MMcf/d through Monday (Jan. 6), returning to normal for Tuesday’s Cycle 1 nominations, CIG said. It had previously expected to complete the repairs Friday. The lateral extends from CIG’s Lost Cabin Compressor Station to the Rawlins Compressor Station.

A special committee of directors that has been probing the extent of CMS Energy Corp.’s involvement in questionable round-trip energy trading activity is expected to disclose its findings to the company’s full board of directors on Oct. 31, said CFO Thomas J. Webb last Tuesday. The company’s outside auditor, Ernst and Young, will review the work of the special committee and its corporate financial re-audit in November, and will report the results to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probably in December.

A special committee of directors that has been probing the extent of CMS Energy Corp.’s involvement in questionable round-trip energy trading activity is expected to disclose its findings to the company’s full board of directors on Oct. 31, said CFO Thomas J. Webb Tuesday. The company’s outside auditor, Ernst and Young, will review the work of the special committee and its corporate financial re-audit in November, and will report the results to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probably in December.