Nationally

In a shrinking power load market nationally under the shadow of climate change policy responses and economic recession, NRG Energy Inc. CEO David Crane urged the electricity industry and financial analysts following it not to “overreact” to the prospect of what some would characterize as draconian measures set to come out of the Obama administration’s newly activated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some segments of the coal industry may even thrive in the future, Crane said during an earnings conference call Tuesday.

In a shrinking power load market nationally under the shadow of climate change policy responses and economic recession, NRG Energy Inc. CEO David Crane urged the electricity industry and financial analysts following it not to “overreact” to the prospect of what some would characterize as draconian measures set to come out of the Obama administration’s newly activated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some segments of the coal industry may even thrive in the future, Crane said during an earnings conference call Tuesday.

Ramping up the photo-ops on oilman T. Boone Pickens’ alternative energy crusade, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson Monday became the first of his colleagues nationally to sign a pledge to join Pickens’ campaign to “break America’s addiction to foreign oil.”

Noting a decline in wholesale natural gas prices nationally, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) announced earlier this month that average January retail gas bills will decrease 6.9%, compared to January 2007 ($97.64 this month vs. $104.83 a year ago). The decrease is a combination of the lower wholesale costs for gas and smaller volumes of gas being used by customers, PG&E said.

Even the once skeptical White House has come to agree that nationally and internationally “climate change must be one of the drivers of energy policy at every level,” California’s chief regulator, Michael Peevey, told a receptive audience Oct. 10 in San Francisco before the Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s 2007 conference.

Even the long-criticized White House has come to agree that nationally and internationally “climate change must be one of the drivers of energy policy at every level,” California’s chief regulator, Michael Peevey, told a receptive audience last Wednesday in San Francisco before the Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s 2007 conference.

A veteran California Energy Commission (CEC) member and nationally recognized expert told a special meeting of western state energy regulators Friday that energy efficiency programs are the fastest way to address what he considers a worsening greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions problem. And Arthur Rosenfeld, Ph.D., said he wanted to send a message of urgency to the U.S. Congress to wake up and smell the added carbon dioxide (CO2).

As natural gas prices continue to come down nationally, states and utilities continue to ensure the reductions flow through to customers. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) on Wednesday gave unanimous approval to a lower fuel charge for Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) customers. However, the commission also warned that the United States’ energy supply/demand balance for the future is less than solid.

As natural gas prices continue to drop nationally, Minneapolis, MN-based Xcel Energy on Wednesday proposed to Colorado state regulators a 21% decrease in February 2006 natural gas commodity prices. Combined with a decrease in expected use, the utility said bills would decrease next month by 31% for typical residential customers and by 35% for typical small-business customers. If approved, the new prices would take effect Feb. 1.