Representatives

Representatives of the oil and gas industry last week applauded the Bush administration’s effort to use gas royalties, in-kind or in-value, to bolster the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The House Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing last Tuesday to examine the possibility of expanding the Minerals Management Service’s existing royalty in-kind (RIK) pilot programs in Wyoming (oil) and the Gulf of Mexico (oil and natural gas) to meet the administration’s request.

Representatives of the oil and gas industry earlier this week applauded the Bush administration’s effort to use gas royalties, in-kind or in-value, to bolster the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The House Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on Tuesday to examine the possibility of expanding the Minerals Management Service’s existing royalty in-kind (RIK) pilot programs in Wyoming (oil) and the Gulf of Mexico (oil and natural gas) to meet the administration’s request.

Representatives from a dozen merchant generators met with California Gov. Gray Davis for four hours late Wednesday in discusssions that one participant characterized as “cordial and candid,” but the result only reinforced differences between the state and electricity suppliers, whom the governor has characterized as “gougers.” The only clear agreement among the participants was to maintain daily contact with the governor and his staff to keep a dialogue going.

A cross-section of U.S. energy representatives last weekpresented a laundry list of initiatives that they believe the WhiteHouse, Congress and regulators must actively pursue to build up thenation’s energy inventories, which they warn are at dangerously lowlevels.

A cross-section of U.S. energy representatives this weekpresented a laundry list of actions that they believe the WhiteHouse, Congress and regulators must take to boost energy supplies,which they say are at dangerously low levels.

Maine regulators, consumer representatives and industrialcustomers are seeking a stay of a FERC order directing the NewEngland ISO to raise its ICAP deficiency charge to $8.75 per kW/Mretroactive to Aug. 1. The current charge is 17 cents.

The New York Mercantile Exchange expressed outrage Friday at thepassage of H.R. 4541 by the House of Representatives on Thursday. TheCommodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 would exempt electronicenergy derivatives trading from regulatory oversight (see Daily GPI,Sept. 25).

The New York Mercantile Exchange expressed outrage Friday overpassage of H.R. 4541 by the House of Representatives on Thursday.The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 would exemptelectronic energy derivatives trading from regulatory oversight.

The Gas Industry Standards board (GISB) has offered up a plan for a combined natural gas and electric industry standards board for discussion among GISB’s own members and electric industry representatives.