Wholesale

Idaho regulators approved a 4.5% rate decrease for Intermountain Gas Co., underscoring the continuing decline in wholesale natural gas prices. It represents the fifth consecutive rate decrease for the MDU Resources Group gas-only utility. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) cited various reasons for the continuing slide in retail rates, including abundant domestic supplies, pipeline capacity, record quantities of stored gas and the absence of natural disasters interrupting supply deliveries. Intermountain’s rates for supply and transportation of gas dropped from 45.35 cents/therm to 41.8 cents/therm.

Citing “prolific availability” of U.S. shale gas, Intermountain Gas Co. has filed with Idaho regulators for its fifth consecutive rate reduction tied to wholesale costs of gas.

An apparent disparity between continued low wholesale natural gas prices and the amount Atlanta-area consumers are paying for natural gas needs to be cleared up by Georgia marketers, according to Stan Wise, chairman of the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC).

Princeton, NJ-based NRG Energy Inc.’s strategy for future growth includes natural gas-fired generation regardless of what happens with the continuing low wholesale gas prices, CEO David Crane told a quarterly earnings conference call last Thursday. Crane characterized NRG’s three-pronged focus on gas-fired power, solar and retail energy sales as being able to thrive in a low- or high-priced gas market.

A Wood Mackenzie natural gas analyst told the electric generation sector to keep a close eye on developments in the wholesale gas market, particularly noting how fast demand picks up for North American supplies.

The near-term energy supply picture in the Pacific Northwest is adequate and wholesale power prices are moderated by a combination of factors including abundant natural gas supplies, according to a revised draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) released by Puget Sound Energy (PSE).

For U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to pick up steam, the current significant wholesale gas price differences between North America and other major global markets will have to continue in the long term, according to Sempra Energy’s head of its LNG operations, speaking at Sempra’s financial analysts conference Wednesday in New York City.

They find it more at citygates rather than state borders, and the “it” is both reliability and competitive prices for wholesale natural gas supplies, according to natural gas purchasing executives who spoke last Wednesday at the “LDC Forum: Rockies and the West” conference in Los Angeles.

They find it more at citygates rather than state borders, and the “it” is both reliability and competitive prices for wholesale natural gas supplies, according to natural gas purchasing executives who spoke last Wednesday at the “LDC Forum: Rockies and the West” conference in Los Angeles.