Voice

The Senate late Tuesday approved by voice vote a measure that shifts $1 billion in funds that were set aside to aid low-income energy in fiscal year 2007 to the current fiscal year.

Despite “concerns” expressed by the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan over natural gas provisions in the measure, the House, by a voice vote Wednesday, passed legislation that reauthorizes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and strengthens the ability of the agency to crack down on manipulation in natural gas markets.

Royal Dutch/Shell Group shareholders easily approved all of the resolutions on the group’s ballot on Monday, but the voting indicated some dissatisfaction with current management.

Houston-based RedMeteor Inc., which provides both Internet and voice brokerage services for physical crude oil, wholesale refined products, natural gas, electricity and natural gas liquids, will begin offering price indications as well as firm bids on its exchange platform beginning next Monday (June 18).

Reps. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-LA), Joe Barton (R-TX) and James Greenwood (R-PA) are seeking assurances from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that the NRC has enough resources to adequately address its current workload, as well as any additional regulatory activities that are likely to come the agency’s way, going forward.

Texas regulators, legislators, industry and consumers will sharea forum in March to voice concerns about the state’s high naturalgas prices and the coming advent of deregulation. The conference,tentatively set for the end of March in Austin, won unanimoussupport from the Texas Railroad Commission — but one commissionersuggested “less talk, more action” to resolve issues as quickly aspossible.

Texas regulators, legislators, industry and consumers will sharea forum in March to voice concerns about the state’s high naturalgas prices and the coming advent of deregulation. The conference,tentatively set for the end of March in Austin, won unanimoussupport from the Texas Railroad Commission — but one commissionersuggested “less talk, more action” to resolve issues as quickly aspossible.

The Senate over the weekend confirmed by a voice vote SpencerAbraham, a former senator from Michigan, as the secretary of theDepartment of Energy (DOE).

The U.S. Senate Energy Committee passed S. 1950, the PowderRiver Basin Resource Development Act, by a voice vote yesterday.Sens. Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi (R-WY) said it provides for thefair and expeditious resolution of conflicts between oil and gasproducers and coal producers with overlapping leases in the PowderRiver Basin in Wyoming and southern Montana.