Outgoing

Outgoing New York Gov. David Paterson took the high road on Saturday, vetoing a bill that would have codified into law a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state through May 15, and at the same time extending until July 1 a deadline for the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prepare a supplemental generic environmental impact statement (SGEIS).

Outgoing New York Gov. David Paterson took the high road on Saturday, vetoing a bill that would have codified into law a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state through May 15, and at the same time extending until July 1 a deadline for the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prepare a supplemental generic environmental impact statement (SGEIS).

A signature from outgoing New York Gov. David Paterson is all that is required for a temporary ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to become effective in the Empire State following the New York State Assembly’s approval of the measure on Monday.

California should not merge its major energy-related agencies into one state energy department, the outgoing head of the California Energy Commission (CEC) told NGI last Monday. Currently, there is little overlap between the CEC and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Jackie Pfannenstiel said.

While the outgoing chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) called for “courageous regulatory reform” in the United States that would include scrapping the CFTC, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and various banking regulators for a whole new framework, Democratic Commissioner Bart Chilton called for fast action and “real-time, real world solutions.”

Avista Corp.’s outgoing CEO is resigned to the fact that 2007 will be a “repositioning” year for the company, which sold its money-losing energy marketing/trading unit and saw its utility operations hindered by a combination of adverse weather and regulatory lag impacts. Nevertheless, the Spokane, WA-based company reported profits for the second quarter of $14.2 million, or 26 cents/diluted share, compared with $13.5 million, or 27 cents/diluted share, for the same period last year.

Outgoing Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski’s legacy will not include final plans for a natural gas pipeline, and his potential successors would like it if he would just step aside to let the next governor take up the charge.

Outgoing Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski’s legacy will not include final plans for a natural gas pipeline, and his potential successors would like it if he would just step aside to let the next governor take up the charge.

As the White House ponders a successor for outgoing FERC Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell, a municipal gas distributor group has called on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to act promptly on the pending nominations of Jon Wellinghoff and Phillip D. Moeller to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.