Faces

California doesn’t have the patent on an overburdened natural gas pipeline infrastructure. The problems facing neighboring Arizona are equally, if not more, critical, state regulators contend.

Almost overwhelming obstacles are blocking competition and change in Mexico’s natural gas and electricity sectors and are going to take time and private investment to overcome, according to one of the country’s energy commissioners.

With the onset of warming weather and rolling blackouts, California officials and energy industry stakeholders are trying to find more common ground, but the much-needed legislative and financial solutions failed to materialize last week. The governor, generators and legislators are expected to get together this week to seek a way to salvage proposed solutions, and state regulators will decide how to spread already-approved electricity retail rate increases.

Every spare molecule of gas, drop of oil and electron is being used up and the world faces a “meltdown” of its economy unless more supplies are found, a leading energy pundit warned a capacity crowd last week at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

Every spare molecule of gas, drop of oil and electron is being used up and the world faces a “meltdown” of its economy unless more supplies are found, a leading energy pundit warned a capacity crowd Monday at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

California still faces a very uncertain electric supplysituation during peak-demand times this summer, and a massiveconservation effort about to be introduced by Gov. Gray Davis.Davis’ plan will impact all local government and businessesstatewide, and it may be the only way to avoid rolling blackouts,according to the state’s chief negotiator for long-term powercontracts.

The winter peak in gas demand has a new rival: summer peakdemand. And many market observers are wondering if the two canco-exist. With rapidly increasing gas-fired generation, theindustry will be hard pressed to meet traditional loads whileserving what once was considered a low priority customer – thepower generators.

If New England’s interstate natural gas pipeline system remains unchanged, transportation constraints are likely to arise during winter 2003, affecting more than 1,700 MW of gas-fired electricity generation in the region, according to a new study conducted by ISO New England (ISO-NE) and Levitan & Associates. Consequently, constraints could intensify by winter 2005, with capacity shortfalls potentially affecting up to 3,200 MW of gas-fired electricity production.

If New England’s interstate natural gas pipelines remainunchanged, transport constraints are likely to arise during winter2003, affecting more than 1,700 MW of gas-fired electricitygeneration in the region, according to a new study conducted by ISONew England (ISO-NE) and Levitan & Associates. Consequently,constraints could intensify by winter 2005, with capacityshortfalls potentially affecting up to 3,200 MW of gas-firedelectricity production.