Retirement

With the advent of more renewables and more retirement of coal-fired power plants, an almost three-decade-old coalition of energy regulators and planners from throughout the western states has authorized a study of the level of coordination among the natural gas and electrical systems in the region.

J. Larry Nichols is retiring as an employee of Devon Energy Corp. effective Dec. 31. He plans to continue to serve as executive chairman and as a director. Nichols’ retirement follows a succession plan announced in June 2010, when Devon President John Richels was promoted to CEO, a post that Nichols had held since 1980. Nichols and his father, John Nichols, co-founded Devon in 1971; the company went public in 1988. Among the company milestones under J. Larry Nichols’ leadership, Devon in 2002 acquired Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., giving it the top position in what was then the emerging Barnett Shale, as well as access to the drilling technology pioneered by George Mitchell, which successfully combined horizontal drilling techniques with hydraulic fracturing well stimulation (see Daily GPI, Jan. 25, 2002; Aug. 15, 2001).

State of New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, who manages the New York State Common Retirement Fund, joined other large investor groups on Tuesday and urged Chesapeake Energy Corp. shareholders to not support the reelection of board members Richard Davidson and V. Burns Hargis, the only two up for reelection.

As a further indication of the private equity sector’s growing interest in energy infrastructure, First Reserve Corp. and the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) have partnered to acquire natural gas-fired generation plants and transmission lines from ArcLight Capital Partners.

Natural gas could take as much as two-thirds of the market for new power generation over the next 20 years, including load gains from the retirement of more than 50 GW of coal-fired power generation capacity, according to the 1Q2011 Integrated Energy Outlook produced by research and consulting firm ICF International.

With the retirement of its last diesel buses, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) moved to 100% clean-fuel buses Wednesday, the first major city transit system in the nation to do so. All but a handful of the buses run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

With the retirement of its last diesel buses, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) moved to 100% clean-fuel buses Wednesday, the first major city transit system in the nation to do so. All but a handful of the buses run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Bernard S. “Bernie” Lee, who served as president and CEO of the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) for 21 years until his retirement in 1999, has died, according to the Gas Technology Institute. Lee was responsible for the development of various synthetic fuels programs involving coal, oil shale and liquid hydrocarbons and was a recognized expert on energy, particularly fossil fuel conversion technologies. In the past four years Lee had been promoting the development of massive electricity storage. In addition to serving on IGT’s board of trustees and executive committee, Lee also served on the boards of National Fuel Gas Co., NUI Corp. and Peerless Manufacturing Co.

David N. Parker, president and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA), formally announced that he will retire from AGA at the end of 2010. Parker told the board that his retirement is part of a transition process that he initiated in 2007 to ensure that AGA continues to have a strong leadership team going forward. He has headed the association, whose members primarily are local distribution companies, for 13 years. As part of that transition, Parker announced that two AGA senior staff members are taking on new responsibilities. Paula Gant, promoted to senior vice president, policy and planning, will develop and manage AGA’s policy and regulatory agenda. Laura Sheehan has been promoted to senior vice president, public affairs, where she will oversee AGA’s advocacy and government affairs. In addition, Kyle Rogers, AGA’s chief liaison to NARUC, has been promoted to vice president. The AGA board of directors will form a search committee to identify a successor.