Submitted

In a report submitted to Congress this week, Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) recommended that the federal government not provide production incentives to the energy industry to spur the development of natural gas hydrates at this time.

Felipe Calderon, Mexico’s popular and vocal energy minister, submitted his resignation last week following a political rally in which some of his supporters urged him to run for president in 2006. President Vicente Fox, who had appointed Calderon in September 2003, said the rally was “both out of place and the wrong time.”

Felipe Calderon, Mexico’s popular and vocal energy minister, submitted his resignation Monday following a political rally in which some of his supporters urged him to run for president in 2006. President Vicente Fox, who had appointed Calderon in September 2003, said the rally was “both out of place and the wrong time.”

Constellation Energy Group and FPL Group last week said that FERC should continue processing a merger application the companies submitted earlier this year [EC06-77].

FERC on Wednesday rejected El Paso Natural Gas’ hotly disputed compliance tariff filing that was submitted in late April, agreeing with shippers that the pipeline failed to follow many of the agency’s directives that were contained in an earlier order.

National Grid and KeySpan Corp. submitted their merger plan to FERC on Thursday, promising no adverse impacts on the wholesale energy market nor any cross subsidization from regulated to unregulated operations from the $7.3 billion combination, which would create the third largest gas and electric utility company in the United States.

El Paso Natural Gas shippers on Monday called on FERC to reject the pipeline’s rate compliance filing that was submitted in late April, saying it flagrantly disregarded the agency’s order and was another attempt by the pipeline to cloud an already complex rate case.

Scores of El Paso Natural Gas shippers have called on FERC to reject the pipeline’s compliance filing submitted earlier this month, saying it “goes well beyond” the changes ordered by the agency.

Avista Corp.’s natural gas utilities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho recently submitted a 2006 integrated resource plan to state regulators that touts “decoupling” as a means to spur efficiency measures while ensuring cost recovery.