Narrowly

Split by growing philosophical differences and what role markets should play in the state’s energy industry, California regulators last Thursday cranked out actions on a number of seemingly routine issues, but only after much debate and narrow 3-2 votes won by a majority of the regulatory panel’s three newest members, including its president, Michael Peevey.

The U.S. Senate last Wednesday narrowly rejected a proposal offered by Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) that would have delayed implementation of the Bush Administration’s controversial new source review (NSR) rules for power plants for an additional six months beyond what the White House is proposing.

The $100 billion economic-stimulus bill narrowly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last Wednesday contained a number of tax breaks and incentives designed to give a boost to independent oil and natural gas producers and producers of alternative energy.

The $100 billion economic-stimulus bill narrowly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday contained a number of tax breaks and incentives designed to give a boost to independent oil and natural gas producers and producers of alternative energy.

“Hope” was the operative four-letter word in California last week if you had anything to do with the energy industry or government as Friday saw the previous day’s specter of rolling blackouts from razor-thin electricity reserves ease.

The nation’s energy spotlight continued to glare unrelentinglyon California’s electricity market as it narrowly avoided the needfor rolling blackouts last week, and now the state’s energyofficials are left holding their collective breath this week,watching weather, supply, price and regulatory indicators.