Pending

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has placed a hold on Equitable Resources Inc.’s proposed purchase of Dominion Peoples Natural Gas Co., pending an appeal of a lower court’s ruling that dismissed the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit to halt the $970 million deal.

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has placed a hold on Equitable Resources Inc.’s proposed purchase of Dominion Peoples Natural Gas Co., pending an appeal of a lower court’s ruling that dismissed the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit to halt the $970 million deal.

A resolution of the pending litigation by proponents of a Long Beach, CA, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is still months away, the city attorney told NGI Wednesday. More imminent would be further legal action once the City of Long Beach, as expected, rejects a claim by LNG developer Sound Energy Solutions (SES), which is seeking payment for costs incurred in the three-year permitting process that came to a halt in January.

The energy industry is seeking to shoot down a bill (HB 1341) pending in the Colorado General Assembly that would significantly change the make-up of the state commission that manages oil and natural gas operations.

Already problematic at the state regulatory level, NorthWestern Energy’s pending $2.2 billion sale to Australian-based Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI) faced a new potential obstacle last Friday from a proposed state law to create a public power entity to potentially take over the utility’s Montana operations if the Public Service Commission (PSC) turns down the BBI purchase later this year. The utility holding company had no immediate reaction to the new state Senate bill (SB 558).

Williams’ Northwest Pipeline said Wednesday that it filed a stipulation and settlement agreement that resolves all outstanding issues in its pending rate case (RP06-416), which was filed on June 30 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The settlement between Northwest and the intervening parties in the case, including Northwest’s customers, is supported by the FERC staff and is expected to be uncontested.

Williams’ Northwest Pipeline said Wednesday that it filed a stipulation and settlement agreement that resolves all outstanding issues in its pending rate case (RP06-416), which was filed on June 30 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The settlement between Northwest and the intervening parties in the case, including Northwest’s customers, is supported by the FERC staff and is expected to be uncontested.

State regulators in Washington last week fined electric and gas utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) $995,000 for violating consumer privacy laws by intentionally sharing private customer information with an outside marketing partner without the customers’ written permission.

State regulators in Washington penalized electric and gas utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) $995,000 for violating consumer privacy laws by intentionally sharing private customer information with an outside marketing partner without the customers’ written permission.