Overview

On the sale block for two and a half months now, Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) Thursday reaffirmed its 2008 forecast and provided an overview of its 2009 business plan as its management gave a nod to challenging financial and commodity markets.

Imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the fastest growing source of natural gas in the United States and will continue to be so in the years ahead, according to a FERC staff overview of the market last Thursday. However, some energy traders are concerned that LNG playing the savior roll is a stretch as they say cargoes destined for the United States are being diverted to other countries with higher natural gas prices.

Imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the fastest growing source of natural gas in the United States and will continue to be so in the years ahead, according to a FERC staff overview of the market Thursday.

As part of an annual review and overview for state lawmakers, California’s chief utility regulator, Michael Peevey, last Wednesday provided a broad energy picture that included higher rates for electricity and natural gas but increased reliability, infrastructure additions and renewable/energy efficiency programs. Peevey also pointed to streamlining of the regulatory processes last year, compared to the previous year.

As part of a broad overview of the state’s updated Energy Action Plan (EAP II), a San Francisco-based environmental leader who strongly endorses the plan’s emphasis on giving first priority to energy efficiency and renewables threw his support to the need for new natural gas-fired power plants and eventually a coastal liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility.

In preparation for a major workshop on capacity auctions, FERCon Friday issued a staff paper that provides an overview of thesubject – the benefits of auctions, factors to be considered whendesigning auctions, the different types of auctions, the use ofauctions in the pipeline industry today and a glossary of auctionterms.

In preparation for a major workshop on capacity auctions, FERCon Friday issued a staff paper that provides an overview of thesubject – the benefits of auctions, factors to be considered whendesigning auctions, the different types of auctions, the use ofauctions in the pipeline industry today and a glossary of auctionterms.