Regular

FERC does not plan to re-schedule the regular bi-monthly meeting that was canceled this week in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., said a spokeswoman for the agency. Instead, its next meeting will be Sept. 26.

FERC cleaned house last week at its final regular meeting before its August hiatus, voting out a number of certificates, preliminary determinations and a Section 3 authorization for pipeline projects of Florida Gas Transmission (FGT), PG&E Transmission Northwest Corp., Colorado Interstate Gas Co. (CIG), Algonquin Gas Transmission/Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) and Otay Mesa Generating Co. LLC.

Although the screen was successful in a feeble attempt at rallying during regular-session activity, cash prices continued to fall Thursday as traders contemplated the dual market depressants of hefty volumes already socked away into storage less than midway through injection season along with temperatures that, while on the warm side, remain subpar for this time of year.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) during its regular meeting last Thursday approved the merger of Morristown, NJ-based GPU Energy and FirstEnergy Corp. by a 5-0 vote on a motion by Commissioner Terrance J. Fitzpatrick, but decided to postpone a decision on GPU’s request to raise rates by a 4-1 count with Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell dissenting.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) during its regular meeting Thursday approved the merger of Morristown, NJ-based GPU Energy and FirstEnergy Corp. by a 5-0 vote on a motion by Commissioner Terrance J. Fitzpatrick but decided to postpone a decision on GPU’s request to raise rates by a 4-1 count with Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell dissenting.

The April gas futures contract managed a minor gain Friday of8.4 cents to end the regular trading session at $5.270/MMBtu andclose a relatively quiet week on a somewhat sleepy note. For thetime being, the April contract appears essentially dormant within atrading range between $5.06, which was the low trade for April setlast Tuesday, and Wednesday’s high of $5.385, which was the initialreaction high after the AGA storage data was released.

Since taking over at FERC last month, Chairman Curt L. HebertJr. has presided over two regular Commission meetings with agendason the light side. But he promises activity will pick up soon.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker announced last week during theCommission’s regular meeting that he will step down on Thursday(Jan. 18), ending his three-year-plus stint as chairman and morethan seven years on the panel. Before those words were evenuttered, the White House notified Commissioner William Massey thathe would take the baton from Hoecker beginning Jan. 19.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker announced Wednesday during theCommission’s regular meeting that he will be stepping down on Jan.18, leaving only three seats filled on the five-member panel.