Stakeholders

Natural gas industry stakeholders are turning up the volume on the clean transportation market as an increasingly realistic outlet for the gusher of gas that is emerging from North America’s burgeoning shale plays. This was made clear during the recent winter meetings of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Washington, DC.

Natural gas explorers that hope to tap into Quebec’s emerging Utica Shale and St. Lawrence River lowlands face more scrutiny going forward, Environment Minister Pierre Arcand said Monday.

With strong incentives from both the public and private sectors, California stakeholders in the alternative transportation fuel space opened a new research center on Tuesday aimed at cutting fuel consumption in the trucking industry by 50% in the next 10 years. Funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) is supporting the new center.

On the second leg of a four-city tour to hear from stakeholders as an Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy policy is crafted, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last Wednesday faced a crowd in New Orleans that was decidedly more friendly to oil and natural gas than the East Coast audience that he met earlier last week. Gulf Coast congressional members and industry representatives said the Obama administration’s plans to move toward renewables was a solid idea, but conventional gas and oil production remained paramount to domestic energy security. They also blasted the administration’s proposed to raise producer taxes.

Awash in natural gas storage proposals, but short on follow-through in getting one built, Arizona energy stakeholders again have their hopes raised this month by the prospect of a major project proposed by a Houston-based developer in an area between Phoenix and Tucson. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has been briefed on the 5 Bcf proposal and could eventually hold hearings on it if utilities it regulates contract for storage.

Awash in natural gas storage proposals, but short on follow-through in getting one built, Arizona energy stakeholders again have their hopes raised this month by the prospect of a major project proposed by a Houston-based developer in an area between Phoenix and Tucson. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has been briefed on the 5 Bcf proposal and could eventually hold hearings on it if utilities it regulates contract for storage.

An Oregon energy official said the state and other stakeholders are likely to appeal FERC’s action Thursday to uphold its conditioned approval of the proposed NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc.’s Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, which is to be sited along the Oregon side of the Columbia River.

California regulators last Thursday approved a settlement involving Sempra Energy’s two natural gas distribution utilities and 10 other stakeholders in the utilities storage programs for core and noncore customers in the southern half of the state. The agreement provides incentives to Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) to expand storage assets under the unbundled storage and hub services programs.

California regulators Thursday approved a settlement involving Sempra Energy’s two natural gas distribution utilities and 10 other stakeholders in the utilities storage programs for core and noncore customers in the southern half of the state. The agreement provides incentives to Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (SDG&E) to expand storage assets under the unbundled storage and hub services programs.