Weighing in on the Alaska pipeline debate and whether government subsidies for Alaska gas production is warranted, Jim Antoine, Minister of Resources Wildlife and Economic Development for the Northwest Territories said treaties, agreements and statutes identified to support gas development 25 years ago are no longer applicable to today’s discussions surrounding an Alaska natural gas pipe. On Sept. 17, Antoine formally asked federal Minister of Natural Resource Herb Dhaliwal to look into the legal status of the 25-year-old agreements.
Weighing
Articles from Weighing
Western Governors Weighing to National Energy Debates
Feeling someone in Washington, DC, is finally listening to them, the 18-state Western Governors Association and its allies applauded the Senate’s adoption of an amendment last Thursday to the proposed energy bill that the governors believe will ensure a “regional role” in the development and enforcement of electricity grid reliability standards. Arizona’s Gov. Jane Dee Hull, chairperson of the Denver-based western governors’ group, called the action “good news for consumers and the industry.”
Watergate Counsel Sees Long Cheney/GAO Fight
Weighing in on the battle between Vice President Dick Cheney and the General Accounting Office over energy task force records, former White House Counsel John Dean said in an op-ed column printed in the New York Times Monday that it could take several years for the dispute to be resolved. Dean, who served under President Nixon, said “as a matter of law, it is clear that the General Accounting Office has a right to the information.” Cheney has refused to turn over records from meetings of the task force which drew up the administration’s energy policy (see Daily GPI, Jan. 29).
Lawsuit Alleges Enron Execs, Board Profited From Deception
A federal judge in Houston Friday was weighing a temporary restraining order request by Amalgamated Bank of New York that would freeze more than $1 billion allegedly gained by Enron Corp. executives and directors who allegedly deceived investors to boost the price of stock before selling millions of shares of the now bankrupt company in the past year.
FERC Weighing Gulfstream, Buccaneer Re-files
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) began thecertification process for the Coastal Corp.’s Gulfstream NaturalGas project, a pipeline from Mobile, AL, across the Gulf of Mexicoand the state of Florida. And in related news, Williams re-filedit’s application for the competing Buccaneer Gas Pipeline. Aprevious Williams filing was rejected without prejudice forinsufficient environmental information.
ALJ Reject Forces Western to Rethink CA Pipe
Western Gas Resources said last week it is weighing its optionsin the wake of a judge’s rejection of its proposed pipeline bypassof Pacific Gas & Electric. Administrative Law Judge AndreaBiren recommended regulators approve the gas utility’s motion toreject Western’s application, and reject a contention by Westernthat PG&E was engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Thejudge’s recommendation is scheduled to be considered by theCalifornia Public Utilities Commission Oct. 7.
ALJ Rejection Forces Western to Rethink CA Pipe Plan
Western Gas Resources said last week it is weighing its optionsin the wake of a judge’s rejection of its proposed pipeline bypassof Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Administrative Law Judge AndreaBiren recommended regulators approve the gas utility’s motion toreject Western’s application, and reject a contention by Westernthat PG&E was engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Thejudge’s recommendation is scheduled to be considered by theCalifornia Public Utilities Commission Oct. 7.
OCC Weighing Interim Rates for ONG
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) is deciding whether toorder interim rates, which could lead to a reduction for customersof Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG), which would create what the LDCcalls “a rate case within a rate case.”
Indiana Seeks Shared Jurisdiction in Bypass Case
Indiana regulators and FERC are weighing a potentiallygroundbreaking case that, in the end after court review, couldaward “complementary jurisdiction” to both states and the federalgovernment in instances where interstate pipelines are seeking tobypass local distribution companies (LDCs) in order to directlyserve end-use customers.
Indiana Looking to Share Bypass Jurisdiction
Indiana regulators and FERC are weighing a potentiallygroundbreaking case that, in the end after court review, could give”complementary jurisdiction” to both states and the federalgovernment in instances where interstate pipelines are seeking tobypass local distribution companies (LDCs) in order to directlyserve end-use customers.