Violated

A jury in federal court in Houston found that former Shell Trading Gas and Power Co. trader Anthony Dizona violated the Commodity Exchange Act by attempting to manipulate natural gas prices on eight separate occasions in the 2001-2002 time frame, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said last week.

A jury in federal court in Houston found that former Shell Trading Gas and Power Co. trader Anthony Dizona violated the Commodity Exchange Act by attempting to manipulate natural gas prices on eight separate occasions in the 2001-2002 time frame, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Tuesday.

The federal government last week decided not to seek a U.S. Supreme Court review of lower court rulings involving Duke Energy and whether it violated New Source Review (NSR) rules regarding certain modifications to its power plants. The company is “very pleased” with the news, Duke spokesperson Randy Wheeless said.

FERC issued an order last week denying allegations that FERC Chairman Pat Wood and Commissioner Nora M. Brownell during a March conference call gave Wall Street analysts the heads up on how they intended to vote in pending cases involving manipulation of western energy markets. An agency spokesman defended the two as well.

A FERC spokesman has denied allegations that FERC Chairman Pat Wood and Commissioner Nora M. Brownell during a conference call gave Wall Street analysts the heads up on how they intended to vote in pending cases involving manipulation of western energy markets. The agency quickly followed that up with an order Wednesday defending the two.

Several western energy suppliers — Reliant Energy Services Inc., El Paso Merchant Energy LP and Portland General Electric — are urging FERC to limit the scope of the agency’s planned public release of confidential information relating to the ongoing California market manipulation cases at the agency.

Without admitting its actions influenced prices in California’s power market, Reliant Resources Inc. and several of its California power generation facilities have entered into a stipulation and consent agreement with FERC to pay $13.8 million for withholding electricity from the state’s market on two days in June 2000.

Without admitting its actions influenced prices in California’s power market, Reliant Resources Inc. and several of its California power generation facilities have entered into a stipulation and consent agreement with FERC to pay $13.8 million for withholding electricity from the state’s market on two days in June 2000.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) believes Dynegy Inc. has violated antifraud and federal securities laws through its involvement in the so-called “Project Alpha” natural gas deal and its round-trip trading activity with CMS Energy. On top of that, Dynegy said bankruptcy may be in its future if its sale of Northern Natural Gas Co. to MidAmerican does not move forward.