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The gas industry’s share of the U.S. energy market is projectedto soar to 35% in 2010 from just 24% in 1996 if the U.S. followsone possible scenario to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Treaty,the Energy Information Administration said in a report to Congress.In contrast, the industry will grab only two percentage points moreof the energy market over that same period without the treaty.

Just because your competitors are breaking the rules, doesn’tmean that you should be allowed to do so, FERC essentially told twoEnron affiliates last week when it denied their plea for a limitedwaiver of its capacity-release rule and the “shipper must havetitle” policy. The affiliates contend they sought the waiver sothey could compete with other suppliers that allegedly are ignoringthe title rule in order to evade paying certain taxes in New YorkState.

Information technology is transforming just about every aspectof the energy industry, even the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission, speakers at an INGAA Foundation conference in Houstonnoted Thursday. Oliver G. “Rick” Richard, CEO of Columbia EnergyGroup, said soon “time margin” will become nearly as critical ayardstick as profit margin for measuring company performance.

Anyone who’s been outside just about anywhere in the countryknows summer came on early this year and came on strong. Electricutilities that usually don’t hit their demand peaks until July orAugust hit their high marks last month. And the heat likely won’tbe retreating in August.

Gas markets should see sustained growth from now until 2015,according to a study just completed by the Canadian Energy ResearchInstitute (CERI). Demand is projected to grow in all markets withthe highest growth rates coming from use of gas for powergeneration.

The 35,000 MW of power generation that already has beenidentified to be sold in the next 18 months is not just a one-timefluke in the power market. It’s the beginning of a process thatwill continue for years to come, according to Siemans Corp.’s DavidL. Hartman, director of corporate development.

Just when it appeared the May Nymex contract was in a positionto resume its upward ways, the contract duped hopeful bullishtraders by falling 4.2 cents to $2.479 Thursday. Perhaps moreimportant than the magnitude of the loss is that May failed to moveabove resistance at $2.56, and that the contract spent time belowits significant $2.465 level for a time Thursday before recoveringduring its final half hour of trading.

Just as the old saying about the lion and the lamb goes, no onecan ever be sure what kind of weather March will bring. This lackof clear fundamental direction has made its way to the New YorkMercantile Exchange, where the spot April contract was unable tobreak outside of a tight $2.115-$2.205 trading range last week.Since April had virtually no room to move, it is fitting the spotmonth could settle the week only 0.8 cents higher at $2.137.

Westinghouse reported last week that it had just built thelargest solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) generating system for a Dutchenergy distribution utility. The system, which runs on natural gas,is delivering 106 KW to the electric grid plus 80 KW of thermalpower to the area’s district heating system, according to thecompany. The unit is the first to integrate a natural gas reformerwithin the SOFC stack.