Urged

Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL) has urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to “act expeditiously” in its rehearing of ANR Pipeline Co.’s application for its $42.1 million WestLeg pipeline expansion (see Daily GPI, June 5). WPL said the new gas transportation capacity is desperately needed to fuel new power generation at the Riverside Energy Center that is “crucial to electric reliability in the state.” FERC issued an order on Aug. 6 granting rehearing of the application at the request of ANR.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) urged key Democrats last Thursday to reconsider their objection to filing energy bill amendments by July 23 so that the Senate can complete the long-awaited legislation during the final week before the August recess.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) urged key Democrats Thursday to reconsider their objection to filing energy bill amendments by July 23 so that the Senate can complete the long-awaited legislation during the last week before August recess.

The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) urged President Bush last week to “declare war on high natural gas prices” and invoke his emergency executive power to “bring about the short-term regulatory changes needed to reduce the threat of natural gas shortages and prevent sustained high price levels that are dismantling the nation’s manufacturing base.”

A University of Houston energy expert told a House panel last Thursday that Congress needs to consider lifting the 20-year-old moratoria on oil and natural as drilling on federal offshore areas as it seeks to avert a potential crisis in the gas markets in the months ahead. The tight gas supplies, expanding demand and above-normal prices are not temporary market aberrations, but are here to stay for a while, lawmakers were warned.

A University of Houston energy expert told a House panel Thursday that Congress needs to consider lifting the 20-year-old moratoria on oil and gas drilling on federal offshore areas as it seeks to avert a potential crisis in the gas markets in the months ahead. The tight gas supplies, expanding demand and above-normal prices are not temporary market aberrations, but are here to stay for a while, lawmakers were warned.

State utility regulators from five Mid-Atlantic/Northeast states and the District of Columbia last week urged the U.S. Congress to “resist efforts” to delay implementation of FERC’s pending standard market design (SMD) rulemaking.

The Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO), pointing to gaps in gas price reporting during the March bidweek, has urged energy buyers and sellers to continue to submit data on transactions to “index developers” during the transition time until its complex and detailed new rules can be put in place. At the same time, another group, the Process Gas Consumers (PGC) representing end users whose processes require the use of natural gas, has advised FERC Chairman Pat Wood it is “strongly” opposed to the federal government taking a hand in the price reporting process for natural gas.

The Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO), pointing to gaps in gas price reporting during the March bidweek, has urged energy buyers and sellers to continue to submit data on transactions to “index developers” during the transition time until its complex and detailed new rules can be put in place. (Note NGI has a material interest in this subject).