Times

Acknowledging that customers’ natural gas bills could be going up in difficult times, Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) Tuesday approved a conservation and rate decoupling plan for Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) that provides incentives for residential customers to reduce consumption. VNG is guaranteed a certain level of revenue under the approved rate decoupling plan whether or not customers use less gas.

EnCana Corp., which endured minor explosions along its natural gas pipeline near Dawson Creek, BC, three times in October, was probably targeted by a local person with a grievance against the company, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigators.

It was only a few months ago that booming times in the Texas oil and gas patch moved the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers to gather a handful of energy reporters at Houston’s Petroleum Club to tout the industry’s success, the market’s wisdom and to speak out against higher taxes. Things have changed a bit since that meeting in July.

EnCana Corp., which endured minor explosions along its natural gas pipeline near Dawson Creek, BC, three times in October, was probably targeted by a local person with a grievance against the company, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigators.

It was only a few months ago that booming times in the Texas oil and gas patch moved the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers to gather a handful of energy reporters at Houston’s Petroleum Club to tout the industry’s success, the market’s wisdom and to speak out against higher taxes. Things have changed a bit since that meeting in July.

Saying its latest electric utility rate increase could have been two or three times bigger, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) signaled last week that some recent moderation in wholesale natural gas prices allowed it to lower the increase to 6%, or $645 million. Effective Oct. 1, the lower rate hike is a sign that another power rate hike next year might be avoided, according to Tom Bottorff, senior vice president, regulatory relations.

Saying its latest electric utility rate increase could have been two or three times bigger, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) signaled Wednesday that some recent moderation in wholesale natural gas prices allowed it to lower the increase to 6%, or $645 million. Effective Wednesday, the lower rate hike is a sign that another power rate hike next year might be avoided, according to Tom Bottorff, senior vice president, regulatory relations.

Two weeks after its sponsor, Constellation Energy Group, fell on hard times and agreed to be acquired by Berkshire Hathaway’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings, Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) has put itself on the “for sale” block.

As another sign of the growing carbon-constrained times facing energy providers, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Tuesday approved the latest version of Avista Utilities’ long-range integrated resource plan (IRP) that calls for deemphasizing coal-fired generation in favor of more natural gas and renewable-powered generation. Avista’s IRP serves as its road map for how it will meet customer growth in the next 10 years.