Natural gas

Honors Note Company's Commitment to Protect Water, Land and Communities In Its Colorado Natural Gas Development

TULSA, Okla., Aug. 20, 2007 – Williams (NYSE:WMB) received four awards from federal and state regulators for its commitment to work collaboratively with communities and government agencies to protect the environment as the company develops and produces natural gas reserves.    » read more »

Ratepayers to Benefit from Sale of Excess Gas

August 21, 2007 -- The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved a settlement agreement authorizing Michigan Consolidated Gas Company's 2007-2008 gas cost recovery (GCR) factor. In the settlement, the utility also agreed not to seek a rate increase in exchange for being authorized to sell excess natural gas from one of its storage fields.    » read more »

44 Percent Below the Utility's Request

August 21, 2007 -- The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved a partial settlement agreement authorizing Consumers Energy to increase its annual natural gas revenues by $49.8 million, 44 percent below what the utility requested.

As a result of today's action, the average monthly bill of a typical Consumers Energy residential natural gas customer will increase approximately $2.36 per month.    » read more »

August 20, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Gina McCarthy today announced a landmark federal court ruling that effectively stops the proposed Islander East natural gas pipeline project.

The U.S. District Court in Bridgeport set aside a U.S. Secretary of Commerce decision - calling it "arbitrary and capricious" - that overruled Connecticut's objection to the proposed Islander East pipeline for failing to comply with the state's coastal zone management plan.    » read more »

Improves Ability to Optimize Development of Reserves Critical to Domestic Production

August 16, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Energy and Pinnacle Technologies have successfully demonstrated a new technology that will help optimize the output of natural gas from the often-grudging non-conventional reserves on which the U.S. will have to depend for half its domestic production in the future.    » read more »

August 15, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – Burlington Resources Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $97.5 million to resolve claims that it underpaid royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Justice Department announced today. Last year, Burlington became a wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, the third largest integrated energy company in the United States.    » read more »

07/13/2007 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today regarding the California State Lands Commission’s vote to approve expansion of the North Baja Pipeline:

“California is committed to seeking out alternative fuel sources that are available and affordable for consumers. And by expanding our fuel supplies, Californians will benefit from lower overall prices, which is why Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) has a place in our state’s future energy portfolio -- We need a diverse, dependable and environmentally sound mix of energy sources.    » read more »

Calls for State Residents to do ‘OneThing’ Daily to Save Money, Save Energy, Protect Environment

July 11, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the launch of a new, statewide marketing effort and advertising campaign that will help residents save on their energy bills and make a positive contribution to the environment: OneThing.    » read more »

July 9, 2007 -- "At our hearing two weeks ago, we laid out the case history of Amaranth Advisors LLC. A lengthy staff report and testimony from witnesses told the story of how this large hedge fund dominated the U.S. natural gas market in 2006, until Amaranth collapsed in September 2006.    » read more »

July 9, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged immediate Senate approval of a measure she has sponsored to shine light on energy markets and close the “Enron Loophole.” Senator Feinstein’s comments come in the wake of a hearing by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on the impact of speculation in the natural gas market.    » read more »

July 5, 2007 -- For some, the only time we use propane is to grill hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, and other foods, as many of us did yesterday when we celebrated Independence Day. But for others, propane is also a source of heat in the winter, and this is the time of year when propane inventories are built for use in the upcoming winter period. So far this spring and summer, there has been a rather lackluster replenishment of the Nation’s primary propane supply since the end of winter.    » read more »

Agreement cuts pending natural gas rate increase by nearly half of the amount sought by Atmos

June 29, 2007 -- FRANKFORT, KY (June 29, 2007) - Kentucky Attorney General Stumbo today signed an agreement with Atmos Energy Corporation which reduces a pending natural gas rate increase by nearly half of the amount Atmos originally sought. The agreement limits Atmos to a general increase of $5.5 million, a decrease of slightly more than $4.9 million, or 47.1%, from its original request of approximately $10.4 million.    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved the revised version of the Consumer Standards and Billing Practices for electric and gas residential service, substantially improving customer protections. The changes mark the first time in 10 years that the rules have been significantly updated.

"The revised rules approved today significantly help customers by providing more shut-off protections, prohibiting estimated meter reading in most cases, and giving customers more time to pay their bills," said MPSC Chairman J. Peter Lark.    » read more »

Finds Hedge Fund Amaranth Distorted Prices Last Summer

June 25, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – On Monday, Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Ranking Minority Member, will hold a hearing and release a 130-page report entitled, Excessive Speculation in the Natural Gas Market, examining how trading by a single hedge fund, Amaranth LLC, led to high prices and extreme price volatility in the U.S. natural gas market in 2006.    » read more »

June 25, 2007 -- "In recent years, allegations of price manipulation and excessive speculation have erupted in every sector of our energy markets, from the ongoing litigation over Enron’s distortion of electricity prices, to price manipulation charges in the propane market, to allegations of price gouging in gasoline. Just one year ago our Subcommittee released a report showing how rampant speculation was inflating crude oil prices by $20 per $70 barrel of oil. When manipulation or excessive speculation distorts our markets, it is the American public that pays the price.    » read more »