Regulator

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said it will hold a hearing next Wednesday to consider the nomination of Arizona regulator Marc Spitzer to a five-year term on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He will replace outgoing Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell.

The White House on Friday announced its intent to nominate Arizona regulator Marc Spitzer to a five-year term on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, replacing outgoing Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell.

A third nonutility underground natural gas storage field in the state was approved Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission, whose lead regulator on the case said the quick action on the proposal will allow the state to have an extra 1 Bcf of gas in storage before the next winter heating season begins in November.

As part of an annual review and overview for state lawmakers, California’s chief utility regulator, Michael Peevey, last Wednesday provided a broad energy picture that included higher rates for electricity and natural gas but increased reliability, infrastructure additions and renewable/energy efficiency programs. Peevey also pointed to streamlining of the regulatory processes last year, compared to the previous year.

Although it’s still unclear how far or how fast FERC will take its new enforcement authority, the Commission clearly has become a “regulator with teeth” under broadened powers given to it by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), according to a Washington, DC-based attorney who analyzed the new law and has experience dealing with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement, from which FERC’s newfound authority is modeled.

With the state’s chief energy regulator publicly advocating eventually two offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals for California, Australian oil/gas exploration and development behemoth Woodside Energy Ltd. will announce Wednesday in Sacramento a fourth proposed LNG project for the state. Its location is unspecified and it is billed as not needing a receiving terminal, according to a report in Tuesday’s Los Angeles Times.

Officially following through on a commitment made by its head regulator at a public meeting earlier this month, the California Public Utilities Commission Thursday officially opened a proceeding (“order instituting rulemaking,” or OIR) to examine the current state of relations between the state’s major private-sector energy utilities and their individual holding companies.

While they appear at first glance to be strange bedfellows, even in California’s unpredictable regulatory milieu, the newest regulator on the five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Dian Grueneich, told an industry group earlier this month that she is a strong advocate for both addressing global climate change and exploring clean coal power generation options. Coming from a Democrat who was appointed late last year by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that should not be too surprising.

While they appear at first glance to be strange bedfellows, even in California’s unpredictable regulatory milieu, the newest regulator on the five-member California Public Utilities Commission, Dian Grueneich, told an industry group Friday she is a strong advocate for both addressing global climate change and exploring clean coal power generation options. Coming from a Democrat who was appointed late last year by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that should not be too surprising.