Regulator

Former Pennsylvania regulator Nora Mead Brownell was sworn in as a FERC commissioner yesterday, filling out the ranks of the five-member federal agency. Brownell will be attending today’s regular open FERC meeting, although she has said she will not be voting.

California’s chief energy regulator Monday blasted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its decision last week to uphold El Paso Natural Gas Co.’s contract with an a affiliate for 1.22 Bcf/d of interstate pipeline capacity to the California border. Further, she speculated the investigation FERC did order, regarding allegations of market manipulation, was offered insincerely on a timetable that makes it moot.

Sources have indicated that President Bush has picked Texasregulator Pat Wood III as his final choice for chairman of theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission, short-circuiting the term ofcurrent Chairman Curt Hebert Jr. “It’s a done deal. The paperwork[for Wood’s nomination] is on the way to the Hill,” a source toldNGI. However, the White House has not formally announced its intentto nominate Wood, and the Senate Energy and Natural ResourcesCommittee still hasn’t received the nomination paperwork.

While gas prices remain extremely high, R. Skip Horvath,president of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), last weekurged state regulators to be patient until the record number of gasrigs operating can do their work and provide desperately neededsupply increases.

While gas prices remain camped out at record levels, R. SkipHorvath, president of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA),urged state regulators yesterday to be patient until the recordnumber of gas rigs operating can do their work and providedesperately needed supply increases.

One of California’s two newest energy regulators Tuesdayadvocated that the state re-regulate parts of its restructuredelectric industry and re-establish some power he said it has cededin the process to the federal government. The plea was part of apress conference in San Diego designed to assuage concernedelectricity customers whose bills have doubled and tripled due to asummer peak-load price and supply crunch.

The Philadelphia Gas Commission’s (PGC) long term role as soleregulator of Philadelphia Gas Works’ (PGW) is coming to an end. PGWwill have to answer to a new governing body, the PennsylvaniaPublic Utility Commission (PUC). The state agency will now set theutility’s rates, as well as follow up on customer complaints andconcerns.

The Philadelphia Gas Commission’s (PGC) long term role as soleregulator of Philadelphia Gas Works’ (PGW) is coming to an end. PGWwill have to answer to a new governing body, the PennsylvaniaPublic Utility Commission (PUC). The state agency will now set theutility’s rates, as well as follow up on customer complaints andconcerns.

Once again up against a regulator-imposed deadline, SouthernCalifornia Gas on Monday is expected to file its latest attempt ata final, all-parties settlement in California’s never-endingnatural gas industry restructuring, which has been dragging on formore than two years.