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The transmission market has become one of the most politicized issues of the day, and while the United States needs more generation, there remains no clear vision of how to make the entire system work more efficiently, according to experts speaking at PowerMart 2000 in Houston last week.

The transmission market has become one of the most politicizedissues of the day, and while the United States needs moregeneration, there remains no clear vision of how to make the entiresystem work more efficiently, according to panelists who spoke atPowerMart 2000 in Houston yesterday.

Cash traders found it impossible to ignore that there wasvirtually no weather-related load left for the weekend, andprobably felt that Wednesday’s and Thursday’s price reactions tostorage news and to a super-surge in energy futures related toMiddle East violence had been at least a little overhyped. Thusthey sent prices lower by double digits Friday at virtually everypoint.

With energy prices rising at an alarming rate, there’s no bettertime than the present to launch expansion projects for gas pipelineinfrastructure. Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline and AlgonquinGas Transmission did just that last week, filing applications withthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build related pipelineextensions designed to bring Sable Island gas to the greater Bostonarea, including a couple new power plants.

Despite the conventional wisdom that there has been a decouplingof natural gas and crude oil prices, ICF Consulting says it isprimarily the close tie between the two commodities under thecurrent circumstances that has been responsible for high naturalgas prices this year.

Despite the conventional wisdom that there has been a decouplingof natural gas and crude oil prices, ICF Consulting says it isprimarily the close tie between the two commodities under thecurrent circumstances that has been responsible for high naturalgas prices this year.

There’s little doubt that pipeline capacity between the RockyMountain region and the Midcontinent is about to experience asignificant upgrade. In all, three large projects have surfaced,including one formally announced last week by Colorado InterstateGas (CIG).

There’s little doubt that pipeline capacity between the RockyMountain region and the Midcontinent is about to experience asignificant upgrade. In all, three large projects have surfaced,including one formally announced this week by Colorado InterstateGas (CIG).

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) saidthere will be a third mark-up session on electric competitionlegislation on June 7. About 30 amendments have been submitted formark-up so far. “We will have staff work to pare down the number ofamendments, and I will meet personally with Sen. [Jeff] Bingamanand staff to come to grips with the concerns.” Bingaman (D-NM) isranking minority member of the committee. Murkowski cited theextent of federal jurisdiction vs. state jurisdiction as the maindifference among committee members. “Secondary issues are thingslike benefit funds, renewable mandates and nucleardecommissioning…..” He urged committee members to come to termswith the idea of a comprehensive electric bill, adding “I’m notgoing to be the one who kills a comprehensive bill.”