Laws

Lawmakers should look to the recent crafting of “one of the most comprehensive underground mine safety laws in the country” for inspiration when they consider the further regulation of Marcellus Shale natural gas activities in Pennsylvania, John Hanger, secretary of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), told a state Senate panel Wednesday.

State regulators in Washington last week fined electric and gas utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) $995,000 for violating consumer privacy laws by intentionally sharing private customer information with an outside marketing partner without the customers’ written permission.

State regulators in Washington penalized electric and gas utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) $995,000 for violating consumer privacy laws by intentionally sharing private customer information with an outside marketing partner without the customers’ written permission.

The newly enacted energy bill has built-in safeguards to prevent states from using their delegated authority under federal laws as a “procedural weapon” to frustrate the development of interstate natural gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, said the head of a major pipeline group Wednesday.

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals report they fully expect to be in compliance with the stepped-up maritime terrorist deterrence rules that are due to take effect in July, reducing the threat of disruptions to imports next summer.

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals report they fully expect to be in compliance with the stiffer maritime terrorist deterrence rules that are due to take effect in July, reducing the threat of disruptions to imports next summer.

With a growing interest in changing the state’s energy landscape, California lawmakers this week will examine three major proposals, one that would create a new regulatory body out of parts of three existing agencies, another that would eliminate the last vestiges of the state’s 1996 electric restructuring law and third dealing with gas price indices. Hearings are set in the Assembly and Senate for Wednesday and Thursday for the respective bills.

With a growing interest in changing the state’s energy landscape in the post-2000/2001 crisis, California lawmakers this week will further examine two separate and major proposals for establishing a new foundation for industry matters. Sacramento observers are unsure of the ultimate fate of the two proposals — one in the state Senate and the other in the lower house Assembly.

Regulators need to weed out the “bad guys” who flouted the laws and rules of the energy markets, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its sister agencies must resist the urge to overreact by increasing their control of the industry, FERC Commissioner Nora M. Brownell told industry analysts and energy executives last Thursday.