Framework

The White House sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Monday that outlines a “basic framework” for an energy bill that would not trigger a presidential veto.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley told a House subcommittee last Monday that the state is working within the federal regulatory framework to make known its opposition to AES Corp.’s Sparrows Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal proposed for Baltimore County, MD, but he made clear that Maryland will take legal action to stop the project if necessary.

Cheniere Energy Inc. and Gaz de France (GDF) agreed to a framework to buy and sell liquefied natural gas (LNG) in European and North American markets over a 15-year period. Under the plan, Cheniere agreed to purchase seven LNG cargoes from GDF in 2008.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley told a House subcommittee Monday that the state is working within the federal regulatory framework to make known its opposition to AES Corp.’s Sparrows Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal proposed for Baltimore County, MD, but he left open the possibility that Maryland may take legal action to stop the project.

Looking to put together the tools, expertise and framework necessary to develop and deploy the first fleet of advanced nuclear power plants in America in nearly three decades, Baltimore, MD-based Constellation Energy and Bethesda, MD-based AREVA Inc. said last week that they have formed UniStar Nuclear as a joint enterprise to be located in Annapolis, MD.

FERC last Wednesday accepted parts of a proposal to form RTO West — a hybrid regional transmission organization (RTO) and transco structure for the Pacific Northwest region — as the first step in its plan to create a much larger western-wide RTO in the future. It marked the fifth RTO that the Commission has approved.

FERC late Wednesday accepted parts of a proposal to form RTO West — a hybrid regional transmission organization (RTO) and transco structure for the Pacific Northwest region — as the first step in its plan to create a much larger western-wide RTO in the future. It marked the fifth RTO that the Commission has approved.

The current framework of regulation and legislation may beinadequate to ensure there is 30 Tcf of gas demand in 2010 and thatcould have dire environmental and economic consequences, the INGAAFoundation said last week in releasing a new report titledImplications of Reduced Gas Use on Emissions from Power Generation.

Aside from the political cries for regulatory actions to provideconsumer electricity rate relief, two days of federal hearingsMonday and Tuesday turned up a wide array of diagnoses andpotential prescriptions for curing what ails California’sstill-convalescing wholesale power market.