Lawrence

Total U.S. energy use in 2008 was an estimated 99.2 quadrillion Btu, down 2.3% from 101.5 quadrillion Btu in 2007, according to energy flow charts released Monday by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

President-elect Barack Obama has picked Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, who runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, to be secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) in his administration, and has selected experienced regulators to oversee three other offices dealing with energy, environmental and climate-change issues, Washington sources said. No formal announcement had been issued Thursday morning.

One of the bit players in the Enron Corp. melodrama was sentenced to two years probation last week for filing false income tax returns. Lawrence Lawyer, 38, who had once worked for Enron Broadband Services, faced up to three years in prison for failing to report $79,469 to the Internal Revenue Service. Lawyer reportedly received the money over four years beginning in 1997 from ex-Enron executive Michael Kopper in what the prosecutors had called a kickback scheme related to RADR, one of Enron’s dubious special purpose entities.

One of the bit players in the Enron Corp. melodrama was sentenced to two years probation on Monday for filing false income tax returns. Lawrence Lawyer, 38, who had once worked for Enron Broadband Services, faced up to three years in prison for failing to report $79,469 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Lawrence G. Rawl, 76, former chairman and CEO of Exxon Corp., died on Sunday in Fort Worth. Current ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond said that Rawl “was a strong leader for our company and the petroleum industry and a true friend. We all mourn his passing and express our deepest sympathy to his family for their loss.” Born in 1928 in New Jersey, Rawl enlisted and served in the U.S. Marine Corps at the end of World War II. Following his military service, Rawl entered the University of Oklahoma and received a degree in petroleum engineering. He immediately joined Humble Oil & Refining Co., Exxon’s predecessor company. In 1980, he joined Exxon Corp. and was elected chairman in 1987. He held the top posts until his retirement in May 1993.

Gaz Metro Ltd., Enbridge Inc. and Gaz de France are planning a C$700 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River downstream of Quebec City in Quebec. The Rabaska LNG terminal, which would be designed to send out about 500 MMcf/d of regasified LNG, is expected to be in service in late 2008 or early 2009.

Gaz Metro Ltd., Enbridge Inc. and Gaz de France are planning a C$700 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River downstream of Quebec City in Quebec. The Rabaska LNG terminal, which would be designed to send out about 500 MMcf/d of regasified LNG, is expected to be in service in late 2008 or early 2009.

FERC Chairman Pat Wood III has named four top aides to his staff: Lawrence D. Crocker III, Robert E. Gramlich, Alison Silverstein and Andrew K. Soto.

FERC Chairman Pat Wood III has named four top aides to his staff: Lawrence D. Crocker III, Robert E. Gramlich, Alison Silverstein and Andrew K. Soto.