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Blame it on Enron Corp.’s collapse or commodity prices that have dropped from the heavens, but whatever the reason, utility executives are rethinking their once lofty notions of the merchant energy side of the business and instead have begun to turn more attention to their core generation businesses — a strategy change that has occurred in just one year.

Blame it on Enron Corp.’s collapse or commodity prices that have dropped from the heavens, but whatever the reason, utility executives are rethinking their once lofty notions of the merchant energy side of the business and instead have begun to turn more attention to their core generation businesses — a strategy change that has occurred in just one year.

The weekend was expected to give some relief to California’s cold snap, although by Midwest or Eastern standards, the daytime temperatures in the 50s and 60s are downright balmy. By the standards of California — even in winter — its been downright freezing in the night time and morning hours, pushing natural gas consumption to near-record levels from San Diego to the Oregon border.

The weekend is expected to give some relief to California’s “cold snap,” although by normal Midwest or Eastern standards, the daytime temperatures in the 50s and 60s are downright balmy, but by the standards of this state — even in winter — it’s been downright freezing in the nighttime and morning hours, pushing natural gas consumption to near-record levels from San Diego to the Oregon border.

In many cases cash prices were coming down Thursday about as fast as they had climbed Wednesday, and at some primarily western points Thursday’s losses were greater than the gains of the day before. A majority of drops were in the range of 30-40 cents, but overall they ran from as small as about 12 cents (Kosci) to nearly half a dollar (Transco Zone 6).

As if the spiraling decline in natural gas spot prices was not enough to give producers pause, natural gas and oil field operating costs are now on the rise, according to Ziff Energy Group’s 2001 study of 200 oil and gas fields in Western Canada.

Energy security legislation proposed by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) would give the energy secretary and attorney general widespread authority to direct energy companies to conduct extensive criminal background checks on persons who operate “critical energy infrastructure facilities” to determine if they are a security threat.

As if the spiraling decline in natural gas spot prices was not enough to give producers pause, natural gas and oil field operating costs are now on the rise, according to Ziff Energy Group’s 2001 study of 200 oil and gas fields in Western Canada.

Distrigas of Massachusetts LLC declared force majeure Friday — which means that it is unable to meet the contract demand of its 20 “or so” customers in New England — only days after the U.S. Coast Guard banned a tanker filled with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and destined for the company’s Everett, MA, terminal from entering Boston Harbor due to safety and security concerns, a FERC spokeswoman said.