Scheduled

FERC staff has scheduled a conference for Dec. 8th to addressall policy and technical issues associated with the Commission’sproposal to implement auctioning of pipeline capacity in theshort-term market.

California regulators are scheduled today to take additionalsteps to open up the natural gas business by removing allrestrictions to the core aggregation program and unbundling gasutility billing services so nonutility firms can compete to providethat function. The actions are part of a larger program aimed atmaking a final decision on gas industry restructuring by the end ofthis year.

If you thought a new pooling system on El Paso Natural Gas wouldbe approved in time for summer vacation, it looks like you may haveto sweat it out for another season. After months of hair pullingscrutiny and debate, FERC has decided to reject El Paso’s March 16filing for scheduling gas pooling transactions on its system andconvene yet another technical conference on the complex matter.

FERC is scheduled to tackle two major cases today – “alternativemethods” for regulating pipeline facilities on the OuterContinental Shelf (OCS) and Granite State Gas Transmission’sapplication to build an LNG facility in the town of Wells, ME. Italso is expected to vote on the merger of Enova and PacificEnterprises.

FERC has scheduled a public conference for April 15-16 toexamine the future of ISOs in administering the electrictransmission grid on a regional basis. The Commission isconsidering whether policy changes are necessary “in order topromote competition and reliability in bulk power markets.”

The National Energy Board has started preparing a reportentitled Canadian Energy Supply and Demand 1998-2025, which isscheduled to be published in 1999. It will provide an analysis ofenergy trends, issues and developments impacting Canada over thenext quarter century. The Board will be taking public comments toobtain the views of interested parties. Written comments or papersmust be received no later than May 12. The first round of publicconsultations will take place in informal workshops in April invarious cities across the country. The Board has identified thefollowing tentative dates and locations for these publicconsultations: Calgary (April 8), Toronto (April 15), Montreal(April 17), Halifax (April 20), Ottawa (April 22) and Vancouver(April 28). Specific dates and locations will be finalizedfollowing the receipt of responses by interested parties. Fordetails see NEB’s website at www.neb.gc.ca/home.htm, or contactLorna Patterson at (403) 299-3987. Registration to participate inpublic discussion groups must be received no later than March 20