Governor

Governor sees a change of attitude among negotiators, based in part on a compromise plan proposed Tuesday.

In the article “Slim Chance of Severance Tax in Pennsylvania” (see Daily GPI, Sept. 10), NGI incorrectly named the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor. His name is Tom Corbett. NGI regrets the error.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives once again took up legislation to impose a tax on natural gas extraction, even though the governor and many state Republicans are opposed, officials said Wednesday.

Florida’s governor has put his support behind the proposed Port Dolphin Energy LLC deepwater liquefied natural gas (LNG) port project, which would provide the state with a new source of natural gas.

Colorado Republican Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, who has indicated his plans to run for governor in 2010, and fellow Republican state Rep. Cory Gardner have asked the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to extend the allowed time to hold a natural gas and oil drilling permit to provide “long-term certainty” for companies willing to invest in the state.

President Obama has announced his intent to nominate John Norris, currently chief of staff for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and a former Iowa regulator, as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, raising questions as to whether Norris, a close Obama friend, will replace Jon Wellinghoff as FERC chairman.

Veteran state regulator and former governor’s communication director Kris Mayes was selected Tuesday by her colleagues as chairman of the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). She is a Republican who has been elected twice to the regulatory panel after originally being appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2003.

An executive order signed recently by Alaska’s governor is intended to set in motion work on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that would liquefy gas from the state’s North Slope for tanker export to international markets.

Bowing in part to pressure from Connecticut’s governor, attorney general, other state officials and congressional delegation, FERC on Thursday imposed more than 80 environmental, security and safety conditions in its order approving Broadwater Energy LLC’s controversial floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and associated pipeline to be located in Long Island Sound.