Requests

The failed hedge fund Amaranth Advisors LLC, affiliates and former natural gas traders filed joint and separate requests last week for FERC to terminate a July show-cause order that accused the parties of indirectly influencing the price of jurisdictional physical gas transactions in 2006 through manipulation of the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) natural gas futures contract.

In response to requests from consumers, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) staff said Friday that it has scheduled an energy fair to provide customers of National Grid USA and National Fuel Gas Co. the opportunity to meet representatives of energy service companies (ESCO) and obtain information about electric and natural gas supply choices being offered in their service territory.

FERC last Thursday issued a final rule that gives the agency the authority to consider requests for interstate electric transmission construction permits if a state siting agency has “withheld approval” on a project for more than one year or it has imposed conditions on a project that would prevent it from significantly reducing transmission congestion.

Ceding to requests by both the prosecution and the defense, the trial of three former El Paso Corp. natural gas traders accused of reporting false pricing information to industry publications has been delayed for six months. U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon approved a joint motion by government prosecutors and the defense teams that will allow the defendants more time to prepare for their trial. A grand jury issued a superseding indictment against James Brooks, Wesley Walton and James Phillips in September. They were to go to trial in November. However, Harmon moved it to May 14. Brooks, a former managing director of El Paso Merchant Energy, was charged in 2005, and former gas traders Walton and Phillips were charged in 2004 with trying to manipulate published indexes by submitting bogus price information to NGI and Inside FERC’s Gas Market Report between 1999 and 2002 (see NGI, Nov. 7, 2005; Dec. 6, 2004). The superseding indictment in September charged each man with one count of conspiracy, 24 counts of false reporting and 24 counts of wire fraud under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Ceding to requests by both the prosecution and the defense, the trial of three former El Paso Corp. natural gas traders accused of reporting false pricing information to industry publications was delayed for six months.

Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities filed two requests Thursday with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to adjust its natural gas and electric utility rates for its operations in the state, effective Nov.1. Two gas rate changes requested would increase residential customers’ monthly bills 4.3% and large commercial/industrial customers by 4.7%, the company said, while two changes on the electric side would result in an increase of less than 1% (0.70%).

A New Mexico pipeline safety advocate has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the departments of Justice and Transportation to find out the status of an enforcement inquiry into the fatal explosion on the El Paso Natural Gas pipeline in August 2000.

Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities last Thursday filed separate requests with the regulators in Washington and Oregon to adjust its natural gas and electric utility rates in those states. The utility said the changes are driven by increasing costs associated with meeting what it called “growing electric and natural gas demands of customers.”

A New Mexico pipeline safety advocate has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the departments of Justice and Transportation to find out the status of the enforcement inquiry against El Paso Natural Gas stemming from the fatal explosion on the pipeline in August 2000.