Susan Kennedy was quickly cleared by the Senate Rules Committee for confirmation as the new commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission. Statewide consumer, utility and environmental groups appeared to support the appointment of the former Democratic Party and governor’s adviser. Confirmation by the full Senate is expected later this month. In part of her questioning, Kennedy said she was unhappy with the level of the so-called exit fees assigned late last year by the CPUC for direct access customers in California. At their current levels, she said it would take 10 to 20 years for bundled utility customers to get their fair share from the customers buying their own power supplies from third-party providers.
NGI The Weekly Gas Market Report
Articles from NGI The Weekly Gas Market Report
FERC To Hear Oral Arguments in Western Power Contract Cases on April 23
FERC will hear oral arguments this Wednesday related to bids by Nevada Power Co., Sierra Pacific Power Co. and two other western-based power entities to reform several power contracts they entered into with power suppliers during the height of the 2000-2001 western energy crisis, the Commission said last week.
April 21, 2003
Black Hills to Investigate Former Traders; CCRO Meets on Price Indices
Black Hills Corp. announced last Tuesday it is initiating an internal investigation of its past trade reporting practices in response to a request for information from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
April 21, 2003
Lehman Analyst Sees Significantly Higher LNG Imports
A rapidly falling U.S. natural gas supply and increased power demand will lead to higher liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports over the next 10 years, according to a detailed analysis by Thomas R. Driscoll of Lehman Brothers.
April 21, 2003
Senator Seeks Probe of Interior Official, Cites Potential Conflict of Interest
Presidential hopeful Sen Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) last week called on the Interior Department inspector general to conduct a broad review of potential conflicts of interest between Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles and oil and natural gas companies.
April 14, 2003
FERC OKs Downsizing of Transco Project, Vacates ANR Certificate
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week voted out an order to downsize and phase the construction of an already-certificated expansion of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.’s mainline pipeline system in the Southeast region.
April 14, 2003
AGA Estimates Gas Reserves Slipped in 2002
A new study released by the American Gas Association indicates that gas reserve levels remained flat or dropped slightly last year compared to the 183.5 Tcf recorded in 2001. Reserves rose in six out of the last eight years.
April 14, 2003
House Passes Broad Energy Legislation
The House of Representatives on Friday passed by a wide margin broad-based energy legislation, which one House Republican leader called “the most important energy bill in the last 50 years.” But a dispirited Democratic lawmaker said it was a Republican-crafted bill that was “jammed down the throats” of others in Congress.
April 14, 2003
S&P Believes Severe Liquidity Crunch May be Easing for Energy Players
It’s been a long time coming, but former merchant energy giants like Aquila Inc., CMS Energy Corp., Reliant Resources Inc., Dynegy Inc. and Xcel Energy appear to be stabilizing as they improve their liquidity and pay down debt, according to two reports by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P).
April 14, 2003
Wood: FERC Keeping Open Mind on How to Boost Gas Price Transparency
Rather than pre-judge how the Commission would implement legislation working its way through the House of Representatives directing FERC to boost natural gas price transparency, FERC Chairman Pat Wood last Wednesday said his inclination would be to instead hold an open workshop to get feedback on this and several other energy-related issues should the bill be signed into law.
April 14, 2003
Listen to the latest episode of our newest podcast NGI's Hub and Flow via:
