Measures

The board of directors of the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) has approved a series of measures to offer credit intermediation through clearing services and trading tools for the over-the-counter (OTC) natural gas market. The plan will include the introduction of exchange of futures for swap (EFS) transactions and large-order execution to the natural gas futures market within the next few weeks, along with the previously announced electronic trading of cleared natural gas swaps and basis contracts.

With summer and the expectation of hotter weather only days away, California regulators last week took several tiny steps aimed at squeezing more megawatts into the supply mix this summer and shoring up financially troubled Southern California Edison Co., the utility hovering on the edge of bankruptcy despite all the good news being spread around by state officials this week.

The Wilderness Society lashed out Thursday at Bush Administration plans to expand oil and gas drilling in protected areas, calling for measures aimed at conservation rather than “drilling America first.”

The pace of stopgap measures for California’s expected powershortages this summer picked up Tuesday with the governorannouncing rebates to customers cutting their summer power use by20% and Calpine Corp. striking an immediate two-month deal forproviding 550 MW to southern California markets starting todaythrough May 15. The short-term power pact is an interim one withthe state water resources department.

Even in the wake of the summer’s power crisis and emergencymeasures, San Diego Gas and Electric can’t find any long-term powerpurchase deals to its liking, and, in fact, it has pulled back arequest-for-proposal it had outstanding, soliciting longer-term,fixed price contracts.

Even in the wake of the summer’s power crisis and emergencymeasures, San Diego Gas and Electric can’t find any long-term powerpurchase deals to its liking, and, in fact, it has pulled back arequest-for-proposal it had outstanding, soliciting longer-term,fixed price contracts.

California Gov. Gray Davis over the weekend signed into law and vetoed separate measures addressing parts of the state’s ongoing electricity crisis. Davis acted on a half dozen initiatives as the deadline for enacting new state laws expired Saturday. Among the new laws are ones that will accelerate power plant siting and extend ratepayer-supported energy efficiency programs.

Hoping to inject life into its dwindling stock price, CMS EnergyCorp. announced drastic measures last week, including an aggressivestock buy-back plan and intentions to create a tracking stock forthe jewel in CMS’ crown — Consumers Energy.

Hoping to inject life into its dwindling stock price, CMS EnergyCorp. announced drastic measures yesterday, including an aggressivestock buy-back plan and intentions to create a tracking stock forthe jewel in CMS’ crown — Consumers Energy.