Fined

Washington state regulators fined Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) $430,000 for improperly charging natural gas and electric utility residential customers for disconnecting their service. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved a multi-party settlement agreement that alleged 1,639 violations by the combination utility of the state’s consumer protection rules. In addition, PSE now has refunded disconnect-visit fees it charged more than 9,000 customers, dating back to December 2009. PSE also has agreed to change its policy regarding the disconnection visits, the UTC said.

A Chesapeake Energy Corp. subsidiary on Friday was fined $600,000 and placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty in federal court to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) in order to build a roadway to a natural gas drilling site in northern West Virginia.

The Interior Department’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) has fined QEP Resources $1.2 million for “knowing or willful maintenance” of inaccurate oil and natural gas royalty and/or production reports on ONRR’s financial system.

The Interior Department’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) has fined Denver-based producer QEP Resources Inc. $1.2 million for the “knowing or willful maintenance” of inaccurate oil and natural gas royalty and/or production reports on ONRR’s financial system.

Fined and verbally flogged by federal and state regulators over the 18 months since its catastrophic gas transmission pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) received more critical reviews last week, some at its own hands.

Fined and verbally flogged by federal and state regulators over the past 18 months since its catastrophic gas transmission pipeline explosion in San Bruno, CA Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) received more critical reviews Monday, some at its own hands. The utility’s bad record-keeping was a “contributing factor” to the San Bruno tragedy, the report concluded.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Wednesday Catalyst Energy Inc. has been fined $185,000 and faces new restrictions after several incidents involving non-Marcellus Shale oil and natural gas wells in three northwestern counties.

FERC last Wednesday approved a stipulation and consent agreement that fined ConocoPhillips $545,000 and required it to disgorge about $3.2 million in unjust profits that it reaped as a result of alleged violations of the agency’s capacity release regulations.

FERC Wednesday approved a stipulation and consent agreement that fined ConocoPhillips $545,000 and required it to disgorge about $3.2 million in unjust profits for alleged violations of the agency’s capacity release regulations.