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Citing a “constructive dialogue” it is seeking in its sometimes contentious relations with Montana regulators, South Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy Thursday submitted a third-party audit of its electric and natural gas utility operations in the state, recommending improvements in some areas. The company, which just settled a pending investigation by the Montana Consumer Counsel, said it hoped the audit improves its ongoing relations with state officials.

Noting that it recognizes liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a viable supply option that eventually could serve parts of the state’s strongly gas-dependent energy market, the California Public Utilities Commission on April 23 filed a request for rehearing of FERC’s March 24 ruling asserting exclusive jurisdiction over a proposed LNG receiving terminal in Long Beach Harbor.

Promising continued legal actions and citing a “shocking disregard for public welfare,” California Attorney General Bill Lockyer Thursday filed a civil lawsuit in an East San Francisco Bay state Superior Court against Houston-based Enron Corp., alleging unfair business practices and violations of the state’s commodity law. In a move to get around Enron’s bankruptcy protections, Lockyer said he hopes to have a jury trial under way in a California court before the end of this year.

Bankrupt NorthWestern Energy said Tuesday its Montana utility operations expect wholesale natural gas prices to remain in the $5-6/Dth range, but it expects retail rates to drop about 3% because of an accounting change in how deferred gas cost amortization is handled. NorthWestern’s filing with state regulators assumes that its natural gas supply costs in July will average $5.93/Dth, which the company said was unchanged from its previously filed June rate.

KeySpan on Friday filed its proposal with FERC to upgrade the existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage terminal in Providence, RI. If approved, KeySpan expects shipping to begin in late 2005.

Noting that it recognizes liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a viable option that eventually could serve parts of the state’s strongly gas-dependent energy market, the California Public Utilities Commission late last Friday filed a request for rehearing of FERC’s March 24 ruling asserting exclusive jurisdiction over a proposed LNG receiving terminal in Long Beach Harbor.

Transwestern Pipeline has filed an application with FERC to expand its San Juan Basin pipeline lateral by about 375 MMcf/d (a 44% increase) to accommodate new gas production from the San Juan Basin in New Mexico and other producing areas in the northern Rockies.

Transwestern Pipeline has filed an application with FERC to expand its San Juan Basin pipeline lateral by about 375 MMcf/d (a 44% increase) to accommodate new gas production from the San Juan Basin in New Mexico and other producing areas in the northern Rockies.

Las Vegas-based Southwest Gas Corp. Monday filed with Nevada regulators for a $27.5 million general rate increase. The utility cited its need to “recover increasing operating costs and to change the way its rates are structured” for its natural gas distribution utility operations in the state, the largest of the three-state utility operations it maintains.