Warming

Triple-digit plunges by Northeast citygates led a second straight day of prices falling across the board Friday. The South was an exception, but warming trends were due to continue into the weekend in many other areas. The previous-day decline of 7.4 cents by March futures and the typical weekend loss of industrial demand were other bearish factors.

Prices were up again at most points Tuesday as chilly temperatures had already reoccupied the Midwest and were about to do the same in the Northeast following a warming trend that had lasted into Tuesday in some sections of the East. The cash market also had modest support from the previous day’s 3.8-cent gain by February futures.

Warming up for a public hearing next Monday, the local county planning staff recirculated its negative assessment from earlier in the year recommending that local elected officials reject NorthernStar Natural Gas’s proposed Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal site along the Oregon side of the Columbia River, about 30 miles east of Astoria, OR. A spokesperson for the project downplayed the staff report as old news.

It seemed rather unlikely but a combination of gradually warming temperatures in some areas and modest prior-day futures support propelled the cash market to gains at nearly all points Thursday. Only a small decline at Cheyenne Hub averted an across the board run of higher pricing and kept mixed daily price movement in play for yet another day.

What was forecast to be a week of above-normal temperatures throughout most of the U.S. began Monday with warming trends in some areas as advertised, but not enough heat to keep prices from continuing to fall at most points. Friday’s 21.8-cent slide by July futures also had bearish implications for Monday’s cash market.

Nearly 82% of senior technology executives claim to closely monitor the issue of global warming, but 65% do not have a defined energy strategy to deal with it, according to a global survey by Hill & Knowlton Inc. And of those surveyed, 77% believe there is a need to expand the executive or “C-Suite” to include a chief energy officer to manage, implement and measure a company’s return on investment in environmental technology, or return on environment (ROE).

Nearly 82% of senior technology executives claim to closely monitor the issue of global warming, but 65% do not have a defined energy strategy to deal with it, according to a global survey by Hill & Knowlton Inc. And of those surveyed, 77% believe there is a need to expand the executive or “C-Suite” to include a chief energy officer to manage, implement and measure a company’s return on investment in environmental technology, or return on environment (ROE).

In response to the industrywide sunburn developing from global warming concerns, Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) this spring is rolling out a stepped-up smorgasbord of energy-saving programs with the dual purpose of combating global climate change and rising wholesale energy prices. The combination Puget Energy utility said it is increasingly directing more of its resources in western Washington state to “helping customers conserve electricity and natural gas.”

With forecasts of warming trends slow in being realized, the market found enough residual heating load to turn in a mixed performance Wednesday in which there were more gains than losses. Most points were flat or close to it, and those more than a dime higher or lower were few.