Real

While not wavering in their long-term support, major California utilities such as Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) envision plenty of real-world challenges to the state’s increased renewable energy goal of 33%. Reaching that goal by 2020 holds major implications for the state’s transmission grid and existing fleet of natural gas-fired generation plants, according to Edison International CEO Ted Craver, who spoke last Friday on a third quarter earnings conference call.

February natural gas futures surged Friday as seasonal buying, forecasts of cold weather, a lack of liquidity, and firm real-time dynamics combined to send prices sharply higher. February futures jumped 34.9 cents to $5.971 and March added 33.7 cents to $5.994. February crude oil added $1.74 to $46.34/bbl.

Even as most of the country hunkered down under winter’s first real bone-chilling cold spurt, a number of declines in cash market point averages were sprinkled in with the gains in Tuesday deals for Wednesday delivery.

As any real sign of true cold in the near-term weather forecast continued to dissipate Thursday, natural gas futures bears continued to have their way as the December contract probed lower values. Despite a $2.08/bbl increase in December crude on the day, December natural gas ended up dropping 8.7 cents to finish at $6.318.

With physical sales of 30.3 Bcf/d in 2Q2008, BP plc easily surpassed all other companies in NGI’s latest survey of North America’s natural gas traders. However, the real news looking forward is just how many 2Q2008 marketers might be absent from the 3Q2008 version of the survey.

With physical sales of 30.3 Bcf/d in 2Q2008, BP plc easily surpassed all other companies in NGI’s latest survey of North America’s natural gas traders. However, the real news looking forward is just how many 2Q2008 marketers might be absent from the 3Q2008 version of the survey.

Despite rebounding crude values, Tropical Storm Dolly entering the Gulf of Mexico and real heat flooding the Northeastern United States, front-month natural gas futures traded in a tight range on Monday before closing at $10.510, down 6 cents from Friday’s close.

Colorado has an opportunity to show the nation how the energy industry, regulators and environmental groups can work together, but the state’s administration is “exploiting our worst fears instead of providing leadership to bring us together,” a Denver-based natural resources attorney charged last week.

Colorado has an opportunity to show the nation how the energy industry, regulators and environmental groups can work together, but the state’s administration is “exploiting our worst fears instead of providing leadership to bring us together,” a Denver-based natural resources attorney charged Wednesday.