Questioning

While liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues to look like the perfect supplement to lagging U.S. domestic production, local distribution companies (LDC) are questioning why they are not being approached to ink long-term agreements with LNG suppliers; presumably such agreements would help support construction of LNG regasification terminals.

While liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues to look like the perfect supplement to lagging U.S. domestic production, local distribution companies (LDC) are questioning why they are not being approached to ink long-term agreements with LNG suppliers; presumably such agreements would help support construction of LNG regasification terminals.

Samuel Bodman, who has served as U.S. Energy Secretary for just over a week, had his feet held to the fire in three hours of questioning Wednesday about the administration’s proposed energy budget by a not-entirely-friendly House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Samuel Bodman, who has served as U.S. Energy Secretary for just over a week, had his feet held to the fire in three hours of questioning Wednesday about the administration’s proposed energy budget by a not-entirely-friendly House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is questioning the need to build two pipelines to transport regasified gas from proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the Bahamas to southern Florida. It believes that “some consolidation” of the proposed Tractebel Calypso Pipeline and AES Ocean Express Pipeline projects is warranted.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is questioning the need to build two pipelines to transport regasified gas from proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the Bahamas to southern Florida. It believes that “some consolidation” of the proposed Tractebel Calypso Pipeline and AES Ocean Express Pipeline projects is warranted.

With an indignant, fighting tone questioning the veracity of their accusers’ evidence, major energy companies named as alleged market manipulators in the “mountains of evidence” California officials submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission earlier this month filed their responses Thursday and pulled no punches. One called the California submittal “shoddy work,” and another promised to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend its reputation. All expressed feelings of being unfairly accused.

With investors and analysts questioning how the U.S. power and natural gas sector can ever recover its credit quality, Fitch Ratings published a special report on Thursday outlining its views and recommendations on the impact and usefulness of mark-to-market (MTM) accounting, as well as how it uses supplemental disclosures on risk management activities, contingent claims and off-balance sheet obligations.

Under intense questioning from an unfriendly House subcommittee Thursday, Enron Corp.’s former CEO Jeffrey Skilling denied knowing that the controversial off-the-book partnerships that led to the company’s collapse were intended to hide debt and boost earnings.