Government

A federal court judge Thursday denied the Department of Justice’s request to dismiss a lawsuit seeking documents from Vice President Dick Cheney and his energy task force related to the development of the national energy policy last year.

The Interior Department’s Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) has ruled that the federal government illegally awarded three leases for coalbed methane (CBM) development in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming in early 2000, a decision some believe could affect other existing leases in the basin and hobble the Bush administration’s plans for expanded CBM production in the West.

Following up on its recently released natural gas energy strategy, the Nova Scotia government on Wednesday issued draft amendments to its Local Gas Distribution Act, as well as regulations that would encourage natural gas distribution in the province. The strategy expects future benefits from abundant natural gas offshore, and its plan would remove barriers to allow the new system to operate on a firm commercial basis (see NGI, Dec. 17, 2001).

Following up on its recently released natural gas energy strategy, the Nova Scotia government on Wednesday issued draft amendments to its Local Gas Distribution Act, as well as regulations that would encourage natural gas distribution in the province. The strategy expects future benefits from abundant natural gas offshore, and its plan would remove barriers to allow the new system to operate on a firm commercial basis (see Daily GPI, Dec.13, 2001).

As the tentacles of the Enron Corp. financial calamity spread into all corners of the federal government last week, FERC Chairman Pat Wood and Commission Nora M. Brownell disputed reports that Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay played a major role in getting them appointed to the Commission last year.

As the tentacles of the Enron Corp. financial calamity spread into all corners of the federal government last week, FERC Chairman Pat Wood and Commission Nora M. Brownell disputed reports that Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay played a major role in getting them appointed to the Commission last year.

Rep. Henry Waxman of California, ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, has stepped up his campaign to ferret out what the Bush administration knew about Enron Corp.’s financial problems and when, sending out another round of letters to top White House and administration officials for information and records.

Rep. Henry Waxman of California, ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, has obtained internal Enron Corp. e-mails that he says suggest that Chairman Kenneth Lay “misled” company employees about the prospects for Enron and its stock, just weeks before the energy trader collapsed and began its headlong plunge toward bankruptcy.

The first measurement of a usually obscure factoid by a part of state government was widely reported last weekend, when California state water resources officials trudged up to several key points in the Sierra Nevada range 90 miles east of Sacramento and measured snow levels at two-thirds of a normal winter already. That translates into greater hydroelectric resources, which translates into a better chance for the state avoiding blackouts this summer. It also means less gas demand for power generation in the state next summer.