Hotly

In the latest chapter of a hotly contested environmental issue, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled the final version of an interim national strategy outlining the steps it will take to protect and restore the sage grouse habitat on America’s public lands.

Natural gas producers and pipeline developers stand warned to make community relations a priority if they advance, as planned this year, a proposal to connect Arctic supplies with a project traversing the native-dominated Mackenzie Valley.

Natural gas producers and pipeline developers stand warned to make community relations a priority if they advance, as planned this year, a proposal to connect Arctic supplies with a project traversing the native-dominated Mackenzie Valley.

As an extension of its hotly debated proposed new market design, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) last week circulated a working document on beefing up its authority next year. The ISO’s “conceptual proposal” will require input from stakeholders and will eventually include published market-sensitive information on a delayed basis. The CAISO will examine the proposal Sept. 19. Eventually some of the plan would have to be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to a CAISO spokesperson.

A hotly contested route alternative that calls for theCanada-to-New York Millennium Pipeline to be built within anelectric transmission system’s right-of-way (ROW) in WestchesterCounty, NY, is a “viable option” provided state regulators and thepipeline can work out the construction details, according to asupplemental draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) issued byFERC staff last week.

A hotly contested route alternative that calls for theCanada-to-New York Millennium Pipeline to be built within anelectric transmission system’s right-of-way (ROW) in WestchesterCounty, NY, is a “viable option” provided state regulators and thepipeline can work out the construction details, according to asupplemental draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) issued byFERC staff last week.

While long-distance tolls continue to be hotly contested,TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. succeeded in reaching a settlement onkey basics that will let it set 2001-02 rates without a fight forits Nova grid in Alberta.

A hotly protested Texas Gas Transmission rate proposal will besubject to increased regulatory and industry scrutiny in the comingmonths. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sided witha number of protesters in accepting and suspending the bulk of theproposed tariff changes until Nov. 1 subject to hearing andpotential refund.

A hotly protested Texas Gas Transmission rate proposal will besubject to increased regulatory and industry scrutiny in the comingmonths. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sided witha number of protesters in accepting and suspending the bulk of theproposed tariff changes until Nov. 1 subject to hearing andpotential refund. FERC also rejected Texas Gas’ postage stamp ratedesign for a new cutting-edge, short-term firm service and orderedthe pipeline come up with distance-based rates for the service. Inaddition, it ordered the pipeline to provide detailed explanationson a host of issues related to its new rate design within the next30 days.