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A two-month-long investigation into Illinois’ high gas prices has concluded that there was no market manipulation, with most of the increases “due largely to factors that affected supply and demand.” The Illinois Commerce Commission released its findings this week, and found that utilities had provided price hike warnings, but consumers did not comprehend their magnitude until winter heating bills arrived.

There’s one key requirement when building merchant power plants in Texas: think big, real big. FPL Energy LLC clearly followed that condition in announcing yesterday that it will take a lead role in building a 1,789 MW gas-fired merchant plant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It will be one of the largest independent generation projects in the state.

Although there remains a dearth of retail electricity choice in Ohio, residents can take some comfort in knowing that they are protected by a wide range of consumer standards, and that the state will not ignore attempts to abuse Ohio’s evolving energy marketplace, according to a new report issued last Tuesday by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.

Although there remains a dearth of retail electricity choice in Ohio, residents can take some comfort in knowing that they are protected by a wide range of consumer standards, and that the state will not ignore attempts to abuse Ohio’s evolving energy marketplace, according to a new report issued Tuesday by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.

Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) yesterday called on FERC to conduct astudy into why there is such a huge differential between prices fornatural gas in the supply basin and prices for the gas delivered tothe Southern California border.

There appears to be one issue that Republicans and Democrats onCapitol Hill can agree on — gas prices are too high. ChairmanFrank H. Murkowski (R-AK) of the Senate Energy Committee andRanking Minority Member Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) have called for anoversight hearing to look into rising natural gas prices.

Will there be fewer holiday lights this season in Wisconsin?More woodburning fires? Wisconsin Public Service Corp., a unit ofWPS Resources Corp., warned Friday that its natural gas customersmay see a 17% hike in their energy bills this month because of thelatest increase in wholesale gas prices. WPSC said that its averageresidential customer would pay nearly 57% more overall this yearthan last, about $50 total.

Nymex got final approval last week for its demutualization plan from the Internal Revenue Service, which said there would be no tax consequences for the organization or its members. The plan, which calls for the equity in the exchange to remain with the seat-owners of its Nymex Division, will make the exchange the first in New York to convert from a not-for-profit membership structure to a for-profit organization.

Nymex got final approval for its demutualization plan from theInternal Revenue Service, which said there would be no taxconsequences for the organization or its members. The plan, whichcalls for the equity in the exchange to remain with the seat-ownersof its Nymex Division, will make the exchange the first in New Yorkto convert from a not-for-profit membership structure to afor-profit organization.