Mandates

In response to state and federal regulatory mandates tied to the natural gas pipeline rupture last year in San Bruno, CA, Sempra Energy’s California utilities have completed reviews and testing of their system in the southern half of the state, concluding that current operating pressures on pipes in highly populated areas are safe and appropriate, Sempra’s new CEO Debra Reed told financial analysts Tuesday during a second quarter earnings conference call.

Reflecting new federal mandates following the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion in September, new California Gov. Jerry Brown’s stripped-down state budget proposal released Monday included more money for gas pipeline safety efforts. Although the amounts are small, they come in a budget that carries $12.5 billion in spending cuts and a proposed 8-10% pay cut for state employees.

U.S. lawmakers “vastly overstate” how quickly business can reduce carbon emissions, and they could risk an economic collapse if unrealistic reduction mandates are imposed, Chevron Corp. CEO Dave O’Reilly said Thursday in Boston.

U.S. lawmakers “vastly overstate” how quickly business can reduce carbon emissions, and they could risk an economic collapse if unrealistic reduction mandates are imposed, Chevron Corp. CEO Dave O’Reilly said Thursday in Boston.

A coalition of 15 states and the city of New York on Wednesday sued the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for what they said were violations of Congressionally enacted mandates to adopt stronger energy saving standards for 22 common appliances that use large amounts of electricity, natural gas and oil.

The Senate on Thursday narrowly approved as part of the omnibus energy bill a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that mandates the increased use of renewable energy in the production of electricity, a move that could eventually reduce the amount of natural gas consumed by the generation sector and cause gas prices to taper off somewhat.

Michigan Gov. John Engler has signed into law an electricderegulation utility package which mandates an immediate 5% ratecut for residential customers and gives the state’s Public ServiceCommission (PSC) additional authority to ensure competition existsfor electric services.

Michigan Gov. John Engler did as expected on Saturday, signinginto law an electric deregulation utility package which mandates animmediate 5% rate cut for residential customers and gives thestate’s Public Service Commission (PSC) additional authority toensure competition exists for electric services.

A discussion draft of Rep. Joe Barton’s (R-TX) much-anticipatedretail electric legislation that was unveiled last week appears tobe most notable for the two things that were missing from it – arenewable-fuel mandate and a date-certain.