Gripped

The frigid January weather that gripped the entire nation, particularly the Northeast, is “diminishing the likelihood” of cumulative heating costs for this heating season finishing below last winter’s high levels, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook for February.

The natural gas industry and FERC have been afflicted with “Expansion Fever,” as last week saw a series of significant pipeline and storage expansions either announced or approved for the energy-hungry West and East Coast markets. Most noteworthy, if only for its sheer size, was Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s announcement of plans to expand its system from Louisiana to Virginia (Momentum Expansion project) in order to serve the ever-growing power generation load in the Southeast. This would be “one of the largest mainline expansion projects constructed in Transco’s 50-plus year history.”

Amid the merger frenzy that gripped the energy industry lastweek, CMS Energy Chairman and CEO William McCormick said he didn’tenvision his company falling prey to a takeover as it strives tobecome the third largest energy concern in the world. Instead, hesees CMS Energy continuing in an aggressor role – being the buyer,not the buyee.

Amid the merger frenzy that has gripped the energy industry thisweek, CMS Energy Chairman and CEO William McCormick said he doesn’tenvision his company – whose goal is to be the third largest energyconcern in the world – being swallowed up by a competitor. Instead,he sees CMS Energy continuing in its aggressive role as a buyer ofassets.