Jeff

A coalition of Democratic senators led by Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico has called on Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to keep closer tabs on the status of oil and natural gas production from federal lands that have already been leased.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, urged Democrats to vote Tuesday against a Republican amendment that seeks to make more federal onshore and offshore lands available to producers.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Wednesday he planned to vote in favor of a measure to extend tax credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency, but he expressed disappointment that it would not have revenue raisers to offset the $5.5 billion cost of the package.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, last Monday blasted provisions in the Bush administration’s $25 billion budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE) in fiscal year (FY) 2009, which eliminate the oil and natural gas research and development (R&D) program, the weatherization program and cut funding for solar energy research. The DOE also proposes to repeal $50 million in guaranteed funding outside the regular budget for onshore natural gas exploration.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Monday blasted a provision in the Bush administration’s $25 billion budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE) in fiscal year (FY) 2009, which allocates zero dollars for oil and natural gas research and development (R&D). The DOE also proposes to repeal $50 million in guaranteed funding outside the regular budget for onshore natural gas exploration.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, saying his committee was continuing to investigate “potential anomalies in natural gas market,” advised that he was scheduling a private meeting last week with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Joseph Kelliher to go over some unanswered questions about the integrity of the markets.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, saying his committee was continuing to investigate “potential anomalies in natural gas market,” advised that he would be meeting this week with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Joseph Kelliher to go over some unanswered questions about the integrity of the markets.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) signaled last Monday that he was not completely satisfied with FERC’s response to a Senate inquiry into whether traders of natural gas futures contracts are engaging in market manipulation tactics to drive up the prices ultimately paid by end-use gas consumers.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) signaled Monday that he was not completely satisfied with FERC’s response to a Senate inquiry into whether traders of natural gas futures contracts are engaging in market manipulation tactics to drive up the prices ultimately paid by end-use gas consumers.