Marked

Utilities and state government are partnering under the California “Green Building Initiative” unveiled earlier in the year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they marked their first successful collaboration by going to jail Thursday. They weren’t locked up, but they did spend some time in Wasco State Prison to present a $6.5 million incentive check for energy efficiency measures adopted by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The saga of Canada’s Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP), a lengthy struggle marked by challenges from environmental and aboriginal groups and escalating costs, continued this week in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, where activists accused the project’s backers, including Imperial Oil Ltd., of overlooking greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and other potential impacts of the project.

The saga of Canada’s Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP), a lengthy struggle marked by challenges from environmental and aboriginal groups and escalating costs, continued last week in Yellowknife, NWT, where activists accused the project’s backers, including Imperial Oil Ltd., of overlooking greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and other potential impacts of the project.

Bringing the string of consecutive expirations in the $7.50s to four, June natural gas futures on Tuesday put in a low of $7.490 before expiring at $7.591, down 4.9 cents on the day. The settle also marked the June contract’s seventh consecutive lower regular session close, bringing the loss streak to 48.4 cents.

Portland, OR-based Northwest Natural Gas Co. Thursday marked its 50th consecutive year of dividend growth and reiterated strong first-quarter 2006 and full-year 2005 earnings during its annual shareholders meeting. Earnings for the first quarter were up compared to the same period last year ($1.48/ vs. $1.43/diluted share for the respective periods), and profits for all of 2005 exceeded those the previous year ($2.11/diluted share last year, compared to $1.86/diluted share for 2004).

Domestic crude oil and natural gas drilling showed a marked increase during the first quarter of the year, according to a report released by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

The year 2005 saw a smooth change of the guard at FERC as Chairman Joseph Kelliher took over the reins from Pat Wood in mid-year, and was marked by significant policy changes and clarifications on the natural gas side, along with agency approval of several key liquefied natural gas (LNG), pipeline and storage projects.

Signaling a marked change four years after the depth of the western energy crisis, Sempra Energy’s top utility executive said Tuesday that California offers some good growth opportunities for utilities in an “improving regulatory environment.”

Signaling a marked change four years after the depth of the western energy crisis, Sempra Energy’s top utility executive said Tuesday that California offers some good growth opportunities for utilities in an “improving regulatory environment.”