Siting

Three city council members already opposed to siting a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in their harbor told local news media Friday they will push the Long Beach, CA, City Council to vote this Tuesday on the city’s potential contract for supplies from the proposed Mitsubishi-ConocoPhillips terminal in the Port of Long Beach. The city elected officials’ vote is separate from ongoing permit work being done jointly between the Port and FERC.

California Energy Commission (CEC) Chairman William Keese said last week he was leaving the power plant siting and energy planning commission as of March 4. Keese, an attorney, made the announcement as part of the commission’s regular business meeting last Wednesday in Sacramento. Originally appointed to the commission in 1997 by then Gov. Pete Wilson, Keese was re-appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in the midst of the 2000-2001 western energy crisis. He alluded to that in making his announcement, indicating he never planned to stay on the CEC as long as he has. His fellow commissioners expressed surprise at Keese’s decision, and lauded his leadership in recent years. Keese’s current term was set to run until the end of this year. At Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s request, Keese will continue to be California’s designee and co-chair of the Western Governors’ Association advisory committee on “clean and diversified” energy. Schwarzenegger will have 30 days after Keese leaves to name a replacement to fill out his term.

With four different proposals in the early, informal stages of development for siting liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Oregon, at least one and maybe two of the terminals eventually will be built, Michael Grainey, the head of the state energy department, told an energy conference in Seattle Thursday. He added that 140 miles of new natural gas transmission pipelines in the state helps make these proposed projects more feasible.

With four different proposals in the early, informal stages of development for siting liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Oregon, at least one and maybe two of the terminals eventually will be built, Michael Grainey, the head of the state energy department, told an energy conference in Seattle Thursday. He added that 140 miles of new natural gas transmission pipelines in the state helps make these proposed projects more feasible.

If FERC loses a jurisdictional battle over the siting of Sound Energy Solutions’ (SES) liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Long Beach, CA, to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), that will spell serious trouble for all future LNG projects facing regulatory review, according to FERC Commissioner Joseph T. Kelliher. A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives last week to make sure that doesn’t happen (see related story).

If the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) loses the jurisdictional battle over the siting of Sound Energy Solutions (SES) liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Long Beach, CA, to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), that will spell serious trouble for all future LNG projects facing regulatory review, said FERC Commissioner Joseph T. Kelliher.

In response to the strong interest in siting multiple liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals along the northern-most Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico, North Baja Pipeline is holding an open season to solicit shipper interest in a potential expansion of the 220-mile international natural gas transmission pipeline, which runs from the Arizona-California border south and west into Mexico. The open season runs through May 5, 2003.

In response to the strong interest in siting multiple liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals along the northern-most Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico, North Baja Pipeline announced Monday its was holding an open season to solicit shipper interest in a potential expansion of the 220-mile international natural gas transmission pipeline running from the Arizona-California border south and west into Mexico. The open season runs through May 5, 2003.

The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) recently approved construction of two new gas-fired electric generation facilities within the state in an effort to keep ahead of the region’s growing demand. The projects include an enormous 2,700 MW plant in Summit County and a 704 MW facility in Sandusky County.