Iowa

The confirmation of former Iowa utility regulator John Norris to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hit a snag in the Senate when a senator threatened to block a vote if the nomination was brought to the floor for a vote. Bill Wicker, a spokesman for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, declined to identify the senator who threatened to place a hold on the Norris nomination. “It has nothing to do with Norris personally,” but rather is directed at FERC policies, Wicker said. Officials from FERC and members of the senator’s staff “are trying to work things out…There are conversations going on,” Wicker said. The Senate energy panel voted out the nomination of Norris, currently chief of staff for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, earlier this month (see NGI, Oct. 12). If confirmed by the Senate, Norris will be one of three Democrats — the others being Chairman Jon Wellinghoff and Commissioner Suedeen Kelly — on the five-member FERC. Kelly has said she plans to leave FERC when her replacement is confirmed by the Senate, but the White House has not tapped anyone to fill her spot (see NGI, Sept. 28).

FERC has given an environmental nod to Northern Natural Gas pipeline’s proposed expansion and extension of its transportation system in Minnesota and Iowa.

FERC on Friday gave an environmental nod to Northern Natural Gas pipeline’s proposed expansion and extension of its transportation system in Minnesota and Iowa.

Continuing on its buying spree in the energy sector, Iowa-based MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. announced Thursday that it has acquired the 8,500-acre M&M Ranch and associated mineral/water rights in Wyoming from Lake DeSmet Energy Co., II, L.C. The deal closed on Thursday, and the company would not reveal any terms or dollar value of the purchase.

Five former natural gas traders who had worked at El Paso Corp., Dynegy Inc. and Reliant Energy Inc. were indicted last week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston for reporting bogus trades to industry newsletters to affect the price of natural gas.

Thanks in large part to the extension of a key federal production tax credit (PTC) by the U.S. Congress through 2007, the U.S. wind power sector is experiencing phenomenal growth, with thousands of megawatts of the renewable resource being added to the country’s power grid.

The attorneys general of Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin sent letters last week to seven natural gas utilities requesting projections on natural gas prices and demand for the upcoming heating season. The attorneys general want utilities to explain the measures they are taking to protect consumers from rising gas prices.

MidAmerican Energy’s Northern Natural Gas pipeline on Friday filed concurrent requests at FERC to increase the capacity of its storage facilities in Iowa and Kansas.

CalEnergy Co. and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. filed anapplication for review of proposal for reorganization with the IowaUtilities Board (IUB) in conjunction with their proposed merger.The merger agreement is also subject to approval by theshareholders of both companies, for which special meetings will becalled later this year. Completion of the merger is expected tooccur by the end of the first quarter of 1999.