Protections

Standard and Poor’s Rating Service (S&P) on Thursday warned in a report titled “Risky Business: Selling Retail Electricity in the U.S.” that many retail marketers are in the same boat as wholesalers with significant market risk because of volatile prices and switching customers, operational challenges such as mass billing and collections, and weak credit.

Senate Democrats Tom Daschle (D-SD), Jeff Bingman (D-NM) and John Breaux (D-LA) are urging the Bush administration to reconsider its opposition to the natural gas price-floor tax subsidy provision for Alaska producers in the Senate energy bill and the mandated southern route for the Alaska pipeline. Without these measures the Alaska pipeline will not be built, the Democrats said in a letter to Bush.

The U.S. Patent Office has approved protections for a unit of San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s technology for installing fiber optic cable in live natural gas distribution pipelines without disturbing the flow of energy supplies.

Although a lot has been made of California’s gas pipeline and supply constraints, Southern California Gas Co.’s anti-bypass tariff, which has been discouraging the development of new pipelines — particularly Questar’s Southern Trails project — still has not received much political scrutiny.

Although a lot has been made of California’s gas pipeline and supply constraints, Southern California Gas Co.’s anti-bypass tariff, which has been discouraging the development of new pipelines — particularly Questar’s Southern Trails project — still has not received much political scrutiny.

Although there remains a dearth of retail electricity choice in Ohio, residents can take some comfort in knowing that they are protected by a wide range of consumer standards, and that the state will not ignore attempts to abuse Ohio’s evolving energy marketplace, according to a new report issued last Tuesday by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.

Although there remains a dearth of retail electricity choice in Ohio, residents can take some comfort in knowing that they are protected by a wide range of consumer standards, and that the state will not ignore attempts to abuse Ohio’s evolving energy marketplace, according to a new report issued Tuesday by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.