Modified

A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, Tuesday sent back 2005-2006 orders to FERC for a clearer understanding of why the agency had modified a shipper’s contract with Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Co. to allow it to resell transportation capacity.

A modified settlement agreement reached Friday between Vectren Corp. and the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) requires the utility to establish a five-year energy efficiency program estimated to cost $4.315 million. State regulators included a decoupling mechanism to allow Vectren to recover up to 85% of the natural gas sales it loses by encouraging utility customers to conserve energy.

A U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia has ruled that McGraw-Hill Companies must comply with a modified subpoena by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for confidential submissions by a participant in the natural gas price surveys conducted by its Platts division.

Backing off earlier proposals to include the California Public Utilities Commission, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Thursday submitted a modified proposal for creating a state energy department with a cabinet-level energy secretary. The department will be centered on a revised state energy commission consolidated with several other energy units — the Electricity Oversight Board and the basically inactive state Consumer Conservation Financing and Power Authority.

Backing off earlier proposals for an all in one strategy, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration announced Monday that the governor will be submitting a modified proposal later this week for creating a state energy department with a Cabinet-level energy secretary. The department will be centered on a revised California Energy Commission (CEC) consolidated with several other energy units — the Electricity Oversight Board and the basically inactive state Consumer Conservation Financing and Power Authority. The California Public Utilities Commission remains outside the fold.

Dominion, which owns the Cove Point LNG import terminal in Maryland, is dusting off a 30-year-old plan to deliver LNG to distant storage tanks along the East Coast via specially designed barges.

Dominion, which owns the Cove Point LNG import terminal in Maryland, is dusting off a 30-year-old plan to deliver LNG to distant storage tanks along the East Coast via specially designed barges.

FERC last week adopted two new market power screens to assess generation market power and modified measures to mitigate market power where it is found. The screens will apply to all initial market-based rate applications and triennial reviews on an interim basis.

With two more months of breathing room to work out a deal,Southern California Gas Co. has substantially modified its originalrestructuring proposal for the resumption of settlementnegotiations this week in Los Angeles. With SoCalGas leading theway, representatives of 75 interested parties are attempting tohammer out a consensus on how further unbundling is shaped forCalifornia’s natural gas industry.