Slaps

After a three-year investigation, an administrative law judge (ALJ) at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a proposed order Tuesday, concluding that Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) manipulated its incentive gas-buying program and abused its market power to drive up gas prices and increase price volatility at the Southern California-Arizona border in 2000 and 2001.

After a three-year investigation, an administrative law judge (ALJ) at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a proposed order Tuesday, concluding that Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) manipulated its incentive gas-buying program and abused its market power to drive up gas prices and increase price volatility at the Southern California-Arizona border in 2000 and 2001.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. last week entered into a settlement at FERC to pay a civil penalty of $20 million — the largest in the agency’s history — for violating laws and agency regulations that bar interstate natural gas pipelines from giving preferential treatment to marketing affiliates and other sister companies.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. has entered into a settlement at FERC to pay a civil penalty of $20 million — the largest in the agency’s history — for violating laws and agency regulations that prohibit interstate natural gas pipelines from giving preferential treatment to marketing affiliates and other sister companies.

Following the completion of end of year audits, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) said it has ordered Gasco Distribution Systems to refund more than $1 million to customers in the company’s Kane and Claysville divisions. The PUC alleged that the natural gas utility overcharged its customers and collected incorrect gas cost rates for customers in McKean and Washington counties.

Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC yesterday agreedto pay a whopping civil penalty of nearly $5.1 million as part of astipulation and consent agreement that it signed with the FederalEnergy Regulatory Commission.

FERC gave CNG Transmission a slap on the hand last week andordered the pipeline to honor a shipper’s right of first refusal(ROFR) on a 13,350 Dth/d package of capacity that was sold toanother party last month. The Commission also intends to take acloser look at CNG’s capacity reservation and posting practices.

FERC gave CNG Transmission a slap on the hand and ordered it tohonor North American Energy Conservation’s (NAEC) right of firstrefusal (ROFR) on 13,350 Dth/d of firm transportation capacity for atleast one year. But the Commission also intends to take a closer lookat CNG’s capacity reservation and posting practices and wants thepipeline to explain why it discriminated against NAEC in awarding thecapacity to another shipper (see Daily GPI, Sept. 8).

In an attempt to deter other utilities in the state, Californiaregulators Nov. 5 slapped a $1.68 million fine on Pacific Gas andElectric Co. for allowing an unregulated energy services affiliateto violate newly created state rules earlier this year governingthe use of the parent company name and logo. The PG&ampE utilitycompany expressed disappointment and vowed to appeal the decision,which requires the penalty be paid out of shareholder funds.