Proof

Safety starts at the top of any organization, and the proof of that can be found in the wake of a number of infrastructure failures in recent years, a panel of experts said at a conference Tuesday convened by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in San Francisco.

If there were any more proof needed that there’s too much gas in the Marcellus Shale region and it needs to get out, the industry got it last week with the announcement of two pipeline projects — estimated to cost about $1 billion each — that would carry Marcellus supplies to greener markets.

Congress last week decided not to include the tax extenders for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the filibuster-proof budget “reconciliation bill,” which could significantly lower the odds for the House-passed renewable tax package to get through the Senate.

The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis is proof that last year’s passage of the sweeping Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) is already impacting U.S. energy supply, which, among other things, has provided incentives to discourage over-reliance on natural gas for power generation, the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources said Wednesday.

Maryland lawmakers last week passed veto-proof legislation that, among other things, would limit pending power rate hikes for Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) customers to 15% through May 31, 2007 and hand pink slips to the current set of commissioners at the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC).

The Gulf of Mexico’s (GOM) oil and gas platforms, pipelines and processing facilities will never be hurricane-proof, but the energy industry has tried to do as much as it can as it prepares for the inevitable storms this summer. After the record-breaking 27 storms last year, companies are trying to leave nothing to chance.

In response to a recent FERC order for proof of significant changes to its gas price dissemination methods, Sempra Energy said it instituted provisions last year to protect against wholesale natural gas price manipulation and one employee was disciplined for providing inaccurate data to trade publications.

In response to the FERC order last week for proof of significant changes to its gas price dissemination methods, Sempra Energy said it instituted provisions last year to protect against wholesale natural gas price manipulation and one employee was disciplined for providing inaccurate data to trade publications.

Rebounding from Thursday’s price free-fall, natural gas futures turned higher Friday as traders bought back their shorts on the idea that governmental weather forecasts calling for mild temperatures through the remainder of the winter may be inaccurate.