State

State regulators and consumer advocates expressed deep concernover high gas prices last week at the winter committee meetings ofthe National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners inWashington, D.C. But industry officials said record drillingefforts will eventually solve the problem and already may be havingan impact.

State regulators and consumer advocates expressed deep concernover gas prices yesterday at the winter committee meetings of theNational Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners inWashington, D.C. But industry officials expressed guarded optimismabout supply and pointed to recent price decreases and drillingefforts as evidence the situation is improving.

A Virginia State Corporation Commission hearing examiner hasrecommended that the planned merger between NUI Corp. and theVirginia Gas Co. include a condition that may affect the locationof an intrastate gas pipeline near Roanoke. The merger and proposedconditions require SCC approval and the commission must act byMarch 27.

The controversial issue of whether the California Power Exchange(Cal-PX) has the authority to hold other buyers and sellers in thestate’s bulk power market liable for the ballooning unpaid powerpurchases of its two near-bankrupt utilities will move into afederal courtroom today.

Indicative of the demands placed on California’s aging fleet ofin-state natural gas-fired electricity generating plants in thelast half of 2000, Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co.utility established its all-time sendout record of 1.142 Tcf,eclipsing the previous record year (1991) by almost 100 Bcf.

Indicative of the demands placed on California’s aging fleet ofin-state natural gas-fired electricity generating plants in thelast half of 2000, Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co.utility established its all-time sendout record of 1.142 Tcf,eclipsing the previous record year (1991) by almost 100 Bcf.

As a result of near-freezing temperatures in the state ofFlorida, Florida Gas Transmission issued an Overage Alert Daynotice Friday with a 15% imbalance tolerance.

Hurricane guru William Gray of Colorado State University is predicting a relatively quiet tropical weather season in the Atlantic and Caribbean next year mainly because of a weak to moderate El Nino. Gray expects nine named storms. Five storms would become hurricanes and two of those would be major hurricanes.

Hurricane guru William Gray of Colorado State University ispredicting a relatively quiet tropical weather season in theAtlantic and Caribbean next year mainly because of a weak tomoderate El Nino. Gray expects nine named storms. Five storms wouldbecome hurricanes and two of those would be major hurricanes.