Scenes

Canada’s on-again, off-again Arctic natural gas project is back on track again after behind-the-scenes official maneuvering smoothed out the latest regulatory roadblock (see Daily GPI, Sept. 10; May 24).

Jurors in the trial of Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling were given a behind-the-scenes peek into the once mighty company on Wednesday, as the defense offered hours of audio and videotape from financial presentations and employee webcasts, some of which mixed business presentations with self-congratulatory pep rallies.

Potential sponsors who have been working behind the scenes got a huge shot in the arm this week when departing lawmakers slipped an $18 billion loan guarantee and authorizations for a mega-natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope to the Lower 48 states into last-minute appropriations and tax measures.

While acknowledging behind the scenes that immediate help from Washington was unlikely, the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX) last week prepared to put in a bid for a temporary $350 a MWh price cap as the state suffered through another week of short power and high prices.

While acknowledging behind the scenes that immediate help fromWashington was unlikely, the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX)last week prepared to put in a bid for a temporary $350 a MWh pricecap as the state suffered through another week of short power andhigh prices.

BP Amoco is starting a quiet, behind-the-scenes campaign aimedat bringing pipeline rate-setting out of the realm of the archaic,making it current and market-responsive by building in annualre-calculations to adjust return on equity.

BP Amoco is starting a quiet, behind-the-scenes campaign aimedat bringing pipeline rate-setting out of the realm of the archaic,making it current and market-responsive by building in annualre-calculations to adjust return on equity.

Natural gas is one of the factors lurking behind the scenes ofLong Beach’s continuing quest to buy a section of SouthernCalifornia Edison Co.’s power distribution system within its cityborders. The city recently rejected an offer by Edison that wouldhave ended the municipalization campaign. At least part of thereason for the city’s resolve is the likelihood it will be a majorend-point for large new gas loads. But that appears to be a smallpart of a much larger scheme behind the city’s recent activities.

Natural gas is one of the factors lurking behind the scenes ofLong Beach’s continuing quest to buy a section of SouthernCalifornia Edison Co.’s power distribution system within its cityborders. The city recently rejected an offer by Edison that wouldhave ended the municipalization campaign. At least part of thereason for the city’s resolve is the likelihood it will be a majorend-point for large new gas loads. But that appears to be a smallpart of a much larger scheme behind the city’s recent activities.