Politicians

A survey of oil and gas executives finds that the majority blame politicians for short-range decision-making they say is an obstacle to securing the country’s energy future. They also blame “public attitudes” but said “poor communications by the energy industry” had little to do with a lack of energy progress.

A survey of oil and gas executives finds that the majority blame politicians for short-range decision-making they say is an obstacle to securing the country’s energy future. They also blame “public attitudes” but said “poor communications by the energy industry” had little to do with a lack of energy progress.

As his own state creeps toward allowing drilling off its shores, Sen. Frank Wagner (R-VA) called the nation’s energy woes a “winning issue” for politicians seeking to curry favor with voters.

As his own state creeps toward allowing drilling off its shores, Sen. Frank Wagner (R-VA) called the nation’s energy woes a “winning issue” for politicians seeking to curry favor with voters.

Responding to a chorus of calls from Capitol Hill and California politicians, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week said it will release to the public the mass of documents that has been furnished by sellers and others as part of the agency’s probe into potential manipulation of prices for natural gas and electricity in western markets, and in related refund proceedings. However, it noted some of the information still will remain confidential.

Echoing what state politicians and regulators have been saying for a long time, California’s attorney general Monday asked for a rehearing of a May 31 order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the state AG’s earlier complaint against seven marketers selling wholesale power supplies in the state.

With politicians and economists pointing fingers in various directions to attach responsibility for California’s electricity problems, the quarterly UCLA business school economic forecast last Thursday predicted a recession for the state, particularly in the north, driven largely by the electricity crisis. A separate analysis by the university and Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) looked at two scenarios, advocating perhaps a different course than the one charted currently by the state.

With politicians and economists pointing fingers in various directions to attach responsibility for California’s electricity problems, the quarterly UCLA business school economic forecast last Thursday predicted a recession for the state, particularly in the north, driven largely by the electricity crisis. A separate analysis by the university and Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) looked at two scenarios, advocating perhaps a different course than the one charted currently by the state.

While politicians were generally endorsing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s westwide market mitigation order, posted late Tuesday evening and effective at midnight that night, those in the trenches spent Wednesday parsing the 60-page order (EL00-95-031), figuring out implementation and strategies.