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The chances are good that a major constitutional question regarding whether federal bankruptcy laws trump a California state law restricting the sale of private-sector utility assets will emerge from the comprehensive Pacific Gas and Electric Co. bankruptcy case, in which the utility filed its reorganization plan last Thursday. Not withstanding this potential turn, a San Francisco bankruptcy attorney said Monday if it were not for the state-regulated utility assets involved, the PG&E reorganization plan would be “fairly typical in which certain assets are sold or otherwise financed to pay creditors.”

Duke Energy Oakland LLC is questioning whether generators should be bound by a “must-offer” obligation included in recent FERC price-mitigation orders if that compliance means that generators will have to run their generating units over and above what is allowed under the units’ air emissions permits.

Canadians are being assured by their two biggest natural gas transporters that they don’t have to take sides in the contest over the northern pipelines because they stand to gain no matter which project wins. After carrying an estimated C$40 billion worth (US$27 billion) of exports to the United States in the past 20 years, the “prebuild” of the Alaska pipeline, completed by Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd., predicts that far from losing, Canadians stand to gain if the country can build the missing northern link in the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System (ANGTS).

Duke Energy Oakland LLC is questioning whether generators should be bound by a “must-offer” obligation included in recent FERC price-mitigation orders if that compliance means that generators will have to run their generating units over and above what is allowed under the units’ air emissions permits.

Not surprisingly, the energy industry last week was almost evenly split over the issue of whether FERC should re-impose price caps on short-term capacity-release transportation to the California border, with California regulators, utilities, industrial customers and producers in favor of the action, while interstate gas pipelines, power marketers and independent generators serving the state, and local distribution companies (LDCs) want to stick with the status quo.

Not surprisingly, the energy industry is almost evenly split over the issue of whether FERC should re-impose price caps on short-term capacity-release transactions to the California border, with California regulators, utilities, industrial customers and producers in favor of the action, while interstate gas pipelines, power marketers and independent generators serving the state, and local distribution companies (LDCs) want to stick with the status quo.

A bid by GPU to raise rates by approximately $316 million in Pennsylvania is quickly turning into a larger debate over whether the utility should be allowed to avoid electricity rate caps already in place in the state. As the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission prepares to consider GPU’s rate increase request later this week, the plan has received criticism from a number of fronts, including PUC Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell and Pennsylvania’s consumer advocate.

Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) of the House Energy and Air QualitySubcommittee is expected to decide over the weekend whether tointroduce emergency legislation in an attempt to head off worseningpower shortages and price spikes that are being predicted for theCalifornia wholesale power markets this summer.

Whether it be a slumping Sunday, a manic Monday or a terribleTuesday, early-week trading has taken a toll on bulls in thenatural gas futures pit at Nymex recently, with losses stacking upboth in overnight Access trading sessions and in regular openoutcry sessions. For the fourth week in a row, the market was hitwith a deluge of late weekend selling, giving rise to a significantdown-move on the first trading day of the week. And while it wasdelayed by a day because of the Nymex holiday, Monday night’sselling was just as potent as the selling seen on the prior threeSunday nights, leaving some market-watchers to suggest traders haveearmarked overnight Access sessions — especially those over theweekends — as easy opportunities to push prices in their favor.