Media

Despite some new-found attention in the financial news media, San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp. is still only studying the feasibility of a California coastal liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the far northern end of the state.

Flying low under the normal local media and environmental radar screens, Japanese mega-conglomerate Mitsubishi is pushing ahead with preliminary plans for building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal along the Southern California coast in Long Beach Harbor on part of a former U.S. Naval Base. A local official connected to the Japanese giant said it is only a few months away from making formal federal energy and environmental filings.

Flying low under the normal local media and environmental radar screens, Japanese mega-conglomerate Mitsubishi is pushing ahead with preliminary plans for building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal along the Southern California coast in Long Beach Harbor on part of a former U.S. Naval Base. A local official connected to the Japanese giant said it is only a few months away from making formal federal energy and environmental filings.

Despite predictions in some national general interest news media concerning natural gas rate hikes this winter, Las Vegas, NV-based Southwest Gas Corp. said Tuesday it does not foresee having to raise its retail charges this winter. In fact, a utility spokesperson said the company doesn’t see the need to raise rates for the next year.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham took the not-so-original position of blaming pollsters and the media last Wednesday for unfairly criticizing the administration’s energy plan. He said they’re simply using the wrong measuring stick by singling out issues that are obviously disliked the most, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), while many of the other important issues are never even mentioned, let alone subjected to public opinion polls.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham took the not-so-original position of blaming pollsters and the media Wednesday for unfairly criticizing the administration’s energy plan. He said they’re simply using the wrong measuring stick by singling out issues that are obviously disliked the most, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while many of the other important issues are never even mentioned, let alone subjected to public opinion polls.

There was no shortage of hand-wringing and news mediaannouncements in the West in the wake of recent electricity pricespikes and multi-million-dollar estimated consequences fromCalifornia’s relatively modest round of rolling brownouts aroundthe San Francisco Bay Area. The big question — particular inCalifornia — is whether new solutions will come from regulators,lawmakers or the market.

There was no shortage of hand-wringing and news mediaannouncements in the West in the wake of recent electricity pricespikes and multi-million-dollar estimated consequences fromCalifornia’s relative modest round of rolling brownouts in andaround the San Francisco Bay Area. The big question — particularin California — is whether new solutions will come fromregulators, lawmakers or the market.