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Washington Gas is backing legislation in Maryland that would allow for expedited cost recovery for pipeline replacement programs outside traditional base rate cases. The utility cites pipeline safety as the reason for its support, but a building trade association opposes the associated costs.

Modest softness dominated at a solid majority of locations Friday as outside the Upper Plains and much of the Midwest weekend weather was expected to range from merely cold (a little above freezing) to cool. The relative lack of heating load was reflected in overall pricing.

The Eagle Ford Shale, where oil and natural gas development began in earnest less than three years ago, is making a big economic footprint in the 24-county South Texas area where it lies, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

Prices increased by generally small amounts at nearly all locations Tuesday outside the Northeast. As a Midcontinent producer had suggested a day earlier, storage holders under no requirements of an account-emptying deadline likely were continuing to replace gas that had gotten withdrawn during the previous two weeks. And albeit minuscule, cash had a tad of support from Monday’s futures rally of 1.5 cents.

The cash market was flat to slightly lower outside of the Northeast as a winter storm started to leave the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic behind. Most trading points from New England through the Washington, DC, area were still recording spikes, while points out West were mostly flat.

An online petition calling on Quebec Premier Jean Charest to resign for not placing a moratorium on shale gas development in the province, among other things, had surpassed more than 224,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.

In its latest public response to outside efforts to kill its proposed acquisition by private equity firm Blackstone Group LP, Houston-based Dynegy Inc. said Monday the growing prospects for depressed natural gas prices and the accelerated advent of shale gas makes it crucial for Blackstone’s $4.50/share offer to be approved Wednesday by shareholders.

With springtime temperatures firmly established for most of the U.S. and only a few upper Northeast locations outside parts of Western Canada expected to get as low as freezing Tuesday, the cash market had to depend on the previous Friday’s 16.1-cent advance by May futures and the restoration of industrial demand after its usual weekend timeout in realizing mostly double-digit gains at a large majority of points Monday.

With springtime temperatures firmly established for most of the U.S. and only a few upper Northeast locations outside parts of Western Canada expected to get as low as freezing Tuesday, the cash market had to depend on the previous Friday’s 16.1-cent advance by May futures and the restoration of industrial demand after its usual weekend timeout in realizing mostly double-digit gains at a large majority of points Monday.