Outgoing

Outgoing director of the FERC Office of Market Oversight and Investigation (OMOI) William F. Hederman has joined the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP as director of the firm’s newly established Energy Resources Group, an affiliated group performing nonlegal professional services for the firm’s clients. Hederman will be offering energy clients insights into the development of compliance programs and internal audit procedures to satisfy FERC’s regulatory requirements. Hederman announced in late September that he would be leaving the Commission. Chairman Joseph Kelliher appointed FERC veteran Susan Court to head OMOI (see Daily GPI, Nov. 9). George D. Billinson is also moving over from OMOI’s enforcement division. Billinson’s practice for Morgan Lewis will focus on regulatory compliance, enforcement, investigations, audits and litigation.

Outgoing Chairman Pat Wood essentially passed the baton, sizzling hot from heavy use, to his successor-in-waiting, Commissioner Joseph T. Kelliher, at the close of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s open meeting Thursday.

Outgoing FERC Chairman Patrick Wood on Wednesday said that he feels “very comfortable that we will get the amount of gas we need in…North America,” an amount that a 2003 National Petroleum Council (NPC) report to the U.S. Secretary of Energy “said we’ve got to have” (see Daily GPI, Sept. 26, 2003).

Outgoing Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham on Wednesday said that there needs to be a strong federal role in making sure that liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals get sited in the U.S. and expressed optimism that Congress will finally be able to pull a comprehensive energy bill across the finish line this year.

On the eve of her final regularly scheduled business meeting as one of the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Loretta Lynch late Wednesday denied a motion from the Sempra Energy utilities that the increasingly combative regulator disqualify herself from a vote scheduled Thursday. Sempra’s utilities, Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric, allege that Lynch has a personal bias against them.

On the eve of her final regularly scheduled business meeting as one of the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Loretta Lynch late Wednesday denied a motion from the Sempra Energy utilities that the increasingly combative regulator disqualify herself from a vote scheduled Thursday. Sempra’s utilities, Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric, allege that Lynch has a personal bias against them.

California energy regulators, all appointees of outgoing Gov.Pete Wilson, last week requested a meeting after Labor Day with thegovernor in an attempt to head off new state legislation that couldfurther hinder ongoing attempts to streamline regulation and injectmore competition into the natural gas industry. The president ofthe California Public Utilities Commission calls one of the bills”truly anti-competitive.”