Footing

After stumbling last heating season Canadian natural-gas exports show signs of getting back on their feet, but when they will resume growing — or even whether they can — remains an open question. For the first time since the onset of energy deregulation and free trade, exports fell in the opening half of the current natural-gas contract year ending Oct. 31, according to records of the National Energy Board.

After stumbling last heating season Canadian natural-gas exports show signs of getting back on their feet, but when they will resume growing — or even whether they can — remains an open question. For the first time since the onset of energy deregulation and free trade, exports fell in the opening half of the current natural-gas contract year ending Oct. 31, according to records of the National Energy Board.

Taxpayers nationwide could wind up footing the bill for billionsof dollars if California’s utilities default on payments tosuppliers for the emergency power and natural gas that they’vereceived during the current crisis, warned Chairman Frank Murkowski(R-AK) of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee lastweek.