Upholding

In the wake of last week’s decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upholding Maryland’s denial of a water quality certification for AES Sparrows Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Baltimore County, a company spokesman said it was considering several option, including petitioning for rehearing by the full court.

A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, has affirmed a lower court’s decision upholding the Department of Interior’s (DOI) interpretation of which costs can be deducted when producers calculate royalties owed for the production of natural gas on federal lands.

A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, Wednesday affirmed a lower court’s decision upholding the Department of Interior’s (DOI) interpretation of which costs can be deducted when producers calculate royalties owed for the production of natural gas on federal lands.

While upholding the use of the Mobile-Sierra doctrine of contract sanctity, the Supreme Court last Thursday said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not do an adequate job of evaluating harm to consumers, nor in reviewing the possible role of alleged unlawful market manipulation, in its decision to uphold long-term contracts signed by utilities with power suppliers in the midst of the implosion of the California power market in 2000 and 2001. While discarding major premises advanced by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which had rejected FERC’s decision, the high court described its own reasons for remanding the case to the Commission and the Ninth Circuit for further review.

While upholding the use of the Mobile-Sierra doctrine of contract sanctity, the Supreme Court Thursday said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not do an adequate job of evaluating harm to consumers, nor in reviewing the possible role of alleged unlawful market manipulation, in its decision to uphold long-term contracts signed by utilities with power suppliers in the midst of the implosion of the California power market in 2000 and 2001. While discarding major premises advanced by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which had rejected FERC’s decision, the high court described its own reasons for remanding the case to the Commission and the Ninth Circuit for further review.

Failed hedge fund Amaranth Advisors LLC says it plans to appeal later this week FERC’s recent decision upholding its assertion of jurisdiction in the natural gas futures market. At the same time, Amaranth and affiliates have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stay the enforcement proceedings at the agency pending the court’s review of the jurisdictional issue.

AES Corp. has appealed a federal judge’s recent decision upholding Baltimore County’s zoning ordinance that bans the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in certain Chesapeake Bay coastal areas.

AES Corp. has appealed a federal judge’s recent decision upholding Baltimore County’s zoning ordinance that bans the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in certain Chesapeake Bay coastal areas.

A federal judge in Baltimore dealt AES Corp.’s proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal another blow, upholding Baltimore County’s zoning amendment that bans the construction of LNG facilities in certain Chesapeake Bay coastal areas.