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For now, California and other parts of the nation can thank Mother Nature for saving consumers from severe and sustained summer energy price spikes, and perhaps bolstering the political resolve to keep pushing ahead with market-based energy solutions, said a Wall Street analyst with Commerzbank Securities. However, the market fundamentals are still present to sustain higher-than-historic prices and volatility, particularly for natural gas.

An already bullish California oil/gas developer with both deep-drilling and shallow gas exploration in separate parts of Kern County received another shot of optimism earlier this month on reports that EOG Resources plans to expand its oil drilling program in the general area within 10 or 15 miles of the town of Delano, CA. EOG officials in Denver denied having any such plans.

An already bullish California oil/gas developer with both deep-drilling and shallow gas exploration in separate parts of Kern County received another shot of optimism earlier this month on reports that EOG Resources plans to expand its oil drilling program in the general area within 10 or 15 miles of the town of Delano, CA. EOG officials in Denver denied having any such plans.

FERC last Wednesday accepted parts of a proposal to form RTO West — a hybrid regional transmission organization (RTO) and transco structure for the Pacific Northwest region — as the first step in its plan to create a much larger western-wide RTO in the future. It marked the fifth RTO that the Commission has approved.

FERC late Wednesday accepted parts of a proposal to form RTO West — a hybrid regional transmission organization (RTO) and transco structure for the Pacific Northwest region — as the first step in its plan to create a much larger western-wide RTO in the future. It marked the fifth RTO that the Commission has approved.

Compression upgrades on parts of the Southern California Gas Co. pipeline infrastructure along with using cushion gas from several storage fields, including SoCal’s idle Montebello field, may be the last and best hope of avoiding a meltdown in California’s natural gas transmission pipeline infrastructure this summer under the weight of heavy demand from electric generators, a state energy expert told California legislators last Wednesday.

Temporary compression upgrades on parts of the SouthernCalifornia Gas Co. pipeline infrastructure along with using cushiongas from its idle Montebello underground storage field may be thelast and best hope of avoiding a meltdown in California’s naturalgas transmission pipeline infrastructure this summer under theweight of heavy demand from electric generators, a state energyexpert told California legislators Wednesday.

The downhill slope for end-of-January swing prices Tuesday wasabout as slippery as any of the icy roads in parts of the Midwestand Northeast. Despite such conditions that normally would helpprop up gas prices, it was a rare point failing to drop less than50 cents, and most of the declines ranged from 70 to 90 cents.

One of California’s two newest energy regulators Tuesdayadvocated that the state re-regulate parts of its restructuredelectric industry and re-establish some power he said it has cededin the process to the federal government. The plea was part of apress conference in San Diego designed to assuage concernedelectricity customers whose bills have doubled and tripled due to asummer peak-load price and supply crunch.