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FERC is being transformed by the 2005 federal Energy Policy Act (EPAct) to more of an enforcement agency rather than an accounting-focused government agency, according to Commissioner Marc Spitzer, who spoke Tuesday at the Western Power Supply Forum II in Burlingame, CA. This is a transition that began at the state regulatory commission level, from which Spitzer just emerged in Arizona to his role as a new federal regulator.

A proposed program by the Minerals Management Services (MMS) for five-year leasing (2007-2012) on the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is “much too conservative,” said seven energy-related associations in joint comments filed with the agency.

A proposed program by the Minerals Management Services (MMS) for five-year leasing (2007-2012) on the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is “much too conservative,” said seven energy-related associations in joint comments filed with the agency.

Having lost prior-day screen support Monday and being on the verge of losing some cooling load in the Great Lakes market area Wednesday, prices fell across the board Tuesday. The fact that an expected warming trend in the Northeast is slow in developing also contributed to a bearish cash market mood.

A great deal of cooling load across the southern tier of states combined with a moderate amount of heating load in the Northeast and (to a lesser degree) Midwest to produce rising prices at nearly all points Tuesday. A 6.4-cent screen gain the day before added a little extra impetus to the bullish cash market.

The threat of after-the-fact rules, prosecutions and penalties has become so great that the rule-of-thumb on many trading floors is, “If you can make money at it, don’t do it,” industry witnesses told a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission technical conference on standards of conduct and market behavior rules for the natural gas and electric markets in Chicago Friday.

While there has been a lot of speculation about the impact of hedge fund trading on natural gas futures prices and market volatility, Peter Fusaro chairman at New York City-based consulting firm Global Change Associates, said he also believes the hedge funds themselves that enter the energy space face serious risks despite the promise of attractive returns.

While there has been a lot of speculation about the impact of hedge fund trading on natural gas futures prices and market volatility, Peter Fusaro, chairman at New York City-based consulting firm Global Change Associates, said he also believes the hedge funds themselves that enter the energy space face serious risks despite the promise of attractive returns.

While there has been a lot of speculation about the impact of hedge fund trading on natural gas futures prices and market volatility, Peter Fusaro chairman at New York City-based consulting firm Global Change Associates, said he also believes the hedge funds themselves that enter the energy space face serious risks despite the promise of attractive returns.