Omnibus

This year’s omnibus energy bill sashayed through three major House committees last week, virtually unchanged from the Republican drafts which had been offered by committee chairmen. The bill that is expected to go to the House floor for consideration this week calls for drilling on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and gives FERC sole authority over the siting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals.

Calling it an example of a “successful regulatory outcome,” Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services praised an omnibus settlement between Xcel Energy’s Public Service Company of Colorado utility and more than two dozen of its stakeholders. The deal was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission last December.

Calling it an example of a “successful regulatory outcome,” Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services praised an omnibus settlement between Xcel Energy’s Public Service Company of Colorado utility and more than two dozen of its stakeholders. The deal was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission last December.

House lawmakers last Tuesday voted out the omnibus Republican-crafted energy bill by a wide margin for the second time in nearly seven months, sending it to the Senate in hopes of jump-starting action on the stalled bill in that chamber.

House lawmakers on Tuesday voted out the omnibus Republican-crafted energy bill by a wide margin for the second time in nearly seven months, sending it to the Senate in hopes of jump-starting action on the stalled bill in that chamber.

Two House lawmakers who voted against the omnibus energy bill have expressed concern that the Department of Energy (DOE) may be illegally using department appropriations to carry out a “coordinated grassroots lobbying effort” to cinch passage of the measure when the Senate returns in late January.

Three alternate decisions were offered last Thursday in the case of the omnibus proposed settlement between California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The utility reacted quickly by reiterating its contention that the only alternate acceptable is the first one approving the proposed deal as submitted.

Three alternate decisions were offered late Thursday in the case of the omnibus proposed settlement between California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The utility reacted quickly by reiterating its contention that the only alternate acceptable is the first one approving the proposed deal as submitted.

President Bush took steps to jump-start stalled negotiations on the omnibus energy bill at a White House meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders Wednesday.