Jerry

Promising “painful” budget recommendations to come, California Gov. Jerry Brown reaffirmed his commitment to renewable energy and efficiency programs as part of a sobering inaugural speech following his swearing in Monday in Sacramento as the 39th governor of the state. Missing in his brief remarks was any mention of climate change, environmental issues or traditional fossil fuels.

While storm forecasters across the country on Wednesday were talking up the potential development of what would be Tropical Storm Jerry making a Gulf of Mexico appearance on Thursday, natural gas futures traders weren’t battling for the buy button just yet. As of 2 p.m. EDT, the October contract was trading at the day’s low of $6.200, down 36.8 cents from Tuesday.

Jerome “Jerry” James McGrath, 81, a retired former president of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), died on Tuesday of cancer at his home in Chevy Chase, MD. McGrath served as an executive with INGAA for 20 years. After an extensive career as a natural gas industry lawyer, he was employed by INGAA in 1968 as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary. In 1978, he was promoted to president and served in the capacity until his retirement from the association in 1988. His tenure included leading INGAA and its interstate pipeline members through the challenges associated with the wellhead decontrol of natural gas and the beginnings of the pipeline industry’s transition from merchant sellers of natural gas to unbundled transportation providers. Mirant announced that effective May 3 M. Michele Burns, 46, will be joining the company as executive vice president and CFO. Burns will assume lead responsibility for the company’s financial restructuring. She will report to Marce Fuller, Mirant’s CEO. Burns brings more than 23 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting to Mirant, having served as executive vice president and CFO at Delta Air Lines and as partner at Arthur Andersen LLP. “As one of the nation’s most well-respected CFOs, she has the experience and skill to lead our financial restructuring, and play a key role in enabling Mirant to emerge from Chapter 11,” said Fuller. In her career at Delta, Burns is credited with stabilizing the company’s finances immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then leveraging Delta’s business unit, technology and supply chain strategies to reduce costs by over $2.5 billion.

Jerry D. Jordan, president of Ohio-based Jordan Energy Inc., waselected chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association ofAmerica (IPAA) during the association’s 70th annual meeting inDallas Nov. 6. He succeeds George Yates, 1997-1999 IPAA chairmanand president, Harvey E. Yates Co., Roswell, NM.

Shippers hoping to line up firm capacity to California on ElPaso better be ready to fight for it, according to Jerry Strange,El Paso director of transportation marketing.

Shippers hoping to line up California capacity coming open on ElPaso better be ready to fight for it, according to Jerry Strange,El Paso director of transportation marketing.