Sens

Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Chris Dodd of Connecticut have added their names to the expanding list of Democrats calling for Congress to impose a windfall profits tax on major oil companies.

Louisiana Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter last Thurday introduced legislation that would give Gulf Coast producing states a share of federal revenues from offshore oil and natural gas production to help with recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Out of deference to the chief Senate negotiators on the energy bill, Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, President Bush will sign the sweeping energy bill into law on Monday (Aug. 8) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM.

Republican Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida and Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina have called on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to review the projected cost of carrying out an inventory of oil and natural gas resources in the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

High gasoline and crude oil prices led Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and eight other U.S. senators to call on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last Monday to block the purchase of Unocal by ChevronTexaco and to review mergers that led to the formation of ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco.

High gasoline and crude oil prices led Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and eight other U.S. senators to call on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Monday to block the purchase of Unocal by ChevronTexaco and to review mergers that led to the formation of ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco.

In light of the continuing flow of information regarding alleged past energy market manipulation by Enron and other companies, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced legislation that would increase penalties for natural gas and power market manipulation, improve price transparency and give regulators new tools to oversee energy markets.

In light of the continuing flow of information regarding past energy market manipulation by Enron and other companies, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced legislation that would increase penalties for natural gas and power market manipulation, improve price transparency and give regulators new tools to oversee energy markets.

In a letter to FERC, Massachusetts Democrat Sens. John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy said they were opposed to the Weaver’s Cove Energy planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal for Fall River, MA, citing the project’s potential harmful effects and risks to the city and surrounding area.