Vying

Expect to see more joint ventures or acquisitions involving Marcellus Shale properties, with both domestic and foreign companies vying to gain a stake in what currently is the most attractive U.S. gas shale play.

Expect to see more joint ventures or acquisitions involving Marcellus Shale properties, with both domestic and foreign companies vying to gain a stake in what currently is the most attractive U.S. gas shale play.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is vying for the vice chairmanship of the Senate Republican Conference, which will become vacant as a result of the shakeup in GOP leadership following an admission by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) of an extramarital affair. Senate Minority Lead Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “talked to her about the position and encouraged her to run for it,” said Robert Dillon, a spokesman for Murkowski. Murkowski is seeking to replace Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who has set his sights on the chairmanship formerly held by Ensign, The Hill newspaper reported. Ensign resigned as chairman earlier this month after he publicly admitted the affair. The Senate GOP is expected to vote Thursday. The vice chairmanship is considered the No. 5 leadership position among Senate Republicans. “I have been participating and giving my input and thinking down the road about the prospect of coming on in an elected capacity,” Murkowski told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner last week. “I did not anticipate there would be an opening until the next Congress…I do feel I have something to offer, a moderating voice in our conference, which is good.” Murkowski has gained prominence in the Republican party over the last couple of years. She plans to remain on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where she is the ranking Republican.

It’s been difficult to keep up with the charges and countercharges by the two groups vying to run El Paso Corp. However, as the march toward a June 17 annual meeting in Houston nears, the proxy battle for the board of directors most likely will rest on which group the shareholders find most credible: the current members, who have attempted to remake the company following a blistering two-year stretch, or the proposed board, composed of a group of energy professionals that claims it can do better.

Dominion Retail, the electric and gas marketing arm of Dominion, has informed 19,000 of its electric customers in Virginia that they will be switched back to Dominion Virginia Power in the near future, after Dominion Retail determined that current prices in Virginia’s wholesale power market are not at a level where the retailer can effectively compete for those customers.

The 16 gas suppliers vying for Georgia customers had theirmoment of truth earlier this month, as Atlanta Gas Light (AGL)determined their market share and presented the results to theGeorgia Public Service Commission (GPSC). As expected, GeorgiaNatural Gas Services, an AGL affiliate, and Scana Energy Marketinggained the most customers, receiving over 60% of the market betweenthem.

The 16 gas suppliers vying for Georgia customers had theirmoment of truth last Friday, as Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) determinedtheir market share and presented the results to the Georgia PublicService Commission (GPSC). As expected, Georgia Natural GasServices, an AGL affiliate, and Scana Energy Marketing gained themost customers, receiving over 60% of the market between them.