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FERC last Wednesday issued an order conditionally accepting for filing a power purchase agreement (PPA) between Southern California Edison Co. and Mountainview Power Co. LLC which ties into plans by Edison to complete a power plant in California.

An industry group chaired by leaders of the Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO) last Tuesday set up a task force to improve voluntary industry reporting of natural gas price information to publications that publish price indexes, and to establish better communications with FERC to ward off mandatory price reporting threatened by the Commission.

An industry group chaired by leaders of the Committee of Chief Risk Officers Tuesday set up a task force to improve voluntary industry reporting of natural gas price information to publications that publish price indexes, and to establish better communications with FERC to ward off mandatory price reporting threatened by the Commission.

Many traders likely thought the previous swing price record of $69/MMBtu, set at the Southern California border on Dec. 11, 2000 (see Daily GPI, Dec. 12, 2000), would never be challenged. But the Northeast, starting to resemble a giant cryogenics laboratory, bested that handily Wednesday with a quote of $76 at Iroquois Zone 2.

The results of a geological study released earlier this month by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) will be used by Alberta regulators to determine if gas production shut-ins should be increased to preserve crude bitumen recovery from fields in northeastern Alberta. Some producers said last week the study indicates a greater than expected association of gas with bitumen, which could mean the loss of more gas production.

In response to the big arctic freeze across the Pacific Northwest, Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy reported Tuesday an all-time record natural gas send-out of 716 MMcf last Sunday, and a near-record electricity send-out of 4,540 MW Monday in its territory in western Washington, surrounding the greater Seattle metropolitan area.

The results of a geological study released last Friday by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) will be used by Alberta regulators to determine if gas production shut-ins should be increased to preserve crude bitumen recovery from the region. Some producers said the study indicates a greater than expected association of gas with bitumen.

Dallas-based producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co. will spend up to $600 million in the new year to fund development and exploration activities, with most of the money focused on 400 wells onshore and offshore the United States. The natural gas producer, which is forecasting five-year average annual growth at 10%, also will begin a dividend program next year.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has removed her hold on the nomination of Joseph T. Kelliher for a seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, clearing the way for the Senate to confirm both the Republican nominee and Democratic nominee Suedeen Kelly, aides said late Thursday. The Senate has not scheduled a vote on the two nominees yet.