Shield

A divided Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Thursday voted out a final rule establishing internal business conduct standards to shield customers from the risks associated with swap dealers (SD), as well as a new proposal on block trades. During the meeting, commissioners vented their growing dissatisfaction both with the pace of the rulemaking process and the content of some of the rules being adopted.

Eight energy trade associations Wednesday forwarded a letter to House lawmakers expressing their support for two bills that would shield commercial end-users from some of the more restrictive requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

FERC last Thursday finalized a series of reforms to its market-based rate program that seek to shield consumers from the exercise of market power by electric power sellers.

While more natural gas utilities used hedging tools to shield their customers from high prices last winter, an increased number said they also are investing in physical gas, using storage to meet peak-demand and looking to add more underground storage capacity in the future, according to a report released by the American Gas Association (AGA) Thursday.

Seeking to shield regulated companies from cash-hungry parent corporations, FERC on Wednesday issued a final rule that requires regulated natural gas and oil pipelines and public utilities who participate in intra-corporate cash management pools with their parents and affiliates to submit written agreements to the agency for scrutiny.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have only a “limited role” in cushioning the blow of high natural gas prices that have led to the shutdown of half of the domestic nitrogen fertilizer industry, sending fertilizer producers overseas and U.S. farmers into the arms of lower priced imports, according to a new General Accounting Office (GAO) report.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have only a “limited role” in cushioning the blow of high natural gas prices that have led to the shutdown of half of the domestic nitrogen fertilizer industry, sending fertilizer producers overseas and U.S. farmers into the arms of lower priced imports, according to a new General Accounting Office (GAO) report.

In an effort to shield jurisdictional companies from having their cash funds drained by parent firms facing financial troubles, FERC last Wednesday issued an interim final rule in which it proposes that regulated natural gas and oil pipelines and public utilities who participate in cash-management arrangements with their parents file written agreements at the agency. A second proposal called for additional financial reports from jurisdictional companies.

In an effort to shield jurisdictional companies from having their cash funds drained by parent firms facing financial troubles, FERC on Wednesday issued an interim final rule in which it is seeking comments on whether regulated natural gas and oil pipelines and public utilities who participate in cash-management arrangement with their parents should file written agreements at the agency. A second proposal called for additional financial reports from jurisdictional companies.