Final

Williams on Tuesday said that it has completed its settlement with California resolving most of the company’s outstanding litigation and civil claims related to natural gas and power markets with the states of California, Oregon and Washington.

As the U.S. Congress went into the night with what could be its final, and very lengthy, session for the year, there was still a chance the pipeline safety legislation, the only remaining piece of the once comprehensive energy bill, might squeak through attached to another measure. As of press time late Wednesday it was still a possibility.

Kern River Gas Transmission officially kicked off construction on its $1.2 billion, 900 MMcf/d 2003 expansion project, which received a final certificate from FERC on July 17 (see Daily GPI, July 18). The project will more than double Kern River’s current transportation capacity, providing much needed market access for burgeoning gas supplies coming from supply basins in the northern Rocky Mountain region.

Retribution will be more expensive for companies violating FERC’s rules in the future, according to a final rule issued by the Commission last Monday. The rule adjusts certain of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s penalties by 10% to cover inflation.

Retribution will be more expensive for companies violating FERC’s rules in the future, according to a final rule issued by the Commission Monday. The rule adjusts certain of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s penalties by 10% to cover inflation.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Wednesday gave final approval to Florida Gas Transmission Co.’s (FGT) Phase VI expansion, which will add 85,356 Dth/d of capacity and 33 miles of pipeline to meet increasing demand mainly from gas-fired power generators in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.

FERC granted final certificates last Wednesday for Northwest Pipeline’s Grays Harbor lateral, which will serve a new Duke Energy power plant in Washington, and to Kern River Gas Transmission’s High Desert Lateral, which will deliver gas to the High Desert Power Project near Victorville, CA.

Connecticut Gov. John Rowland last Friday issued an executive order halting any final decisions or approvals for construction of large-scale gas or electric transmission projects, pending the completion of a study by a task force on transmission issues. Significantly, the order, which takes effect immediately, does not apply to a high-voltage electric transmission cable across Long Island Sound which is just days away from the start of construction.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a final rule last week that will seek to expand the ability of releasing shippers to recall pipeline capacity from replacement shippers.