Outcry

Just as the Department of Energy (DOE) reacted to public outcryover high oil and gasoline prices, Energy Secretary Bill Richardsonand FERC need to find out why wholesale natural gas prices havesoared to more than $4 since the start of the year and preparecustomers for possibly higher gas bills next winter, a majormunicipal gas group said yesterday.

The New York Mercantile Exchange said it will move electricitytrading from open outcry to the Nymex Access electronic tradingsystem following the close of trading March 2. At the 4 p.m. startthat day of the Access session, which marks the start of the March3 trading session, the Exchange will list all of its existingelectricity futures and options contracts for trading on the systemthrough 2:30 PM the next day. The contract will begin trading at 4p.m. Monday through Thursday evenings and will begin trading at 7p.m. Sundays.

The New York Mercantile Exchange said it will move electricitytrading from open outcry to the Nymex ACCESS electronic tradingsystem following the close of trading March 2. At the 4 p.m. startthat day of the ACCESS session, which marks the start of the March3 trading session, the Exchange will list all of its existingelectricity futures and options contracts for trading on the systemthrough 2:30 PM the next day. The contract will begin trading at 4PM Monday through Thursday evenings and will begin trading at 7p.m. Sundays.