Soon

The Energy Information Administration soon will unveil improvements to its weekly U.S. natural gas storage survey, agency officials announced last week. One of the changes being considered is increasing the number of storage firms that are surveyed each week.

It’s still too soon to determine whether overall natural gas production volumes were up or not in the first quarter, with Wednesday’s report a mixed bag. ConocoPhillips (COP) and Kerr-McGee Corp. both reported gains in their upstream units from a year ago, while independents Noble Energy Inc. and Cabot Oil & Gas Inc. both reported slight declines.

If the analysis of a top industry observer is correct, prices still have some room left to move higher but little time to do so. As the end of the year approaches, traders should be prepared to recognize that the high prices for the season may be in, he said.

If the analysis of a top industry observer is correct, prices still have some room left to move higher, but as the end of the year approaches traders should be prepared to recognize that the high prices for the season may be in.

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is developing two new power generation projects for completion by next summer and will announce a third project in December, officials said Thursday. FPL Energy and PSEG Power have been selected to build the two facilities, which would add a combined total of 134.9 MW to enhance Long Island’s ability to introduce competition to its service territory.

Reversing the old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Ben Schlesinger of Benjamin Schlesinger and Associates said that unfortunately the energy market is broken and desperately needs to be fixed soon.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should be making a decision soon on competing projects to send more gas into the New York City/Long Island market, and the sponsors of both projects are optimistic their pipeline will be selected.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should be making a decision soon on competing projects to send more gas into the New York City/Long Island market, and the sponsors of both projects are optimistic their pipeline will be selected.

The prospect for California fulfilling soon its goal of having 15-20% reserve margins in its electric generation capacity is clouded by the current financial uncertainty facing the energy industry, and may not be resolved until there is some further consolidation, according to representatives of merchant generators speaking at an industry conference in San Diego last week.