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Once a basket case and white elephant abandoned by its private-sector sponsors, the massive Great Plains Synfuels Plant in North Dakota delivered $39.2 million in profits to the federal Department of Energy (DOE) Monday under a revenue-sharing agreement dating to 1988 when DOE bailed out the then money-losing venture. Now operated by Dakota Gasification Co. (DGC), a for-profit unit of a major Bismarck, ND, cooperative utility, the plant has returned nearly $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury in the form of revenues and unused tax credits.

Global environmental products broker Evolution Markets Inc. of White Plains, NY, continues to expand its two-year-old natural gas trading capabilities with the addition of three new staffers. CEO Andrew Ertel told NGI the firm is well positioned to capitalize on the growing importance of natural gas in a carbon-constrained world.

Global environmental products broker Evolution Markets Inc. of White Plains, NY, continues to expand its two-year-old natural gas trading capabilities with the addition of three new staffers. CEO Andrew Ertel told NGI the firm is well positioned to capitalize on the growing importance of natural gas in a carbon-constrained world.

Dirk Kempthorne, former governor of Idaho, was officially sworn in Wednesday as the secretary of the Department of Interior in a ceremony at the White House. He succeeds former Interior Secretary Gale Norton who departed in March.

Mirroring actions being taken by the White House, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday asked the California Energy Commission (CEC), whose primary role is siting power plants and funding alternative energy programs, to investigate the causes behind the current spike in gasoline prices that has driven regular, self-service supplies above $3/gallon. Schwarzenegger made his request in a letter to CEC Chairman Joseph Desmond.

In a surprise move, the White House has sent the Senate the nominations of a Colorado attorney and a Washington, DC energy executive to fill the two vacant seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, this would be the first time since December 2003 that the five-member Commission will be operating at full capacity.

Long-awaited omnibus energy legislation is headed to the White House after it cleared the Senate by a nearly three-to-one margin Friday and was voted out by the House a day earlier, crossing the finishing line ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline set by President Bush.

The White House last week forwarded to the Senate the nomination of Reuben Jeffery III to be a commissioner and chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The White House this week forwarded to the Senate the nomination of Reuben Jeffery III to be a commissioner and chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).