On November 19, 2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) announced the launch of investigations into the interstate natural gas pipeline rates for Northern Natural Gas Company (“Northern Natural”), Great Lakes Gas Transmission LP (“Great Lakes”), and Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America LLC (“NGPL”) to determine if the pipelines are over-recovering cost of service, causing unjust and unreasonable rates under section 5 of the Natural Gas Act.  [Read more →]

On November 16, 2009, FERC issued Order No. 717-B in an attempt to clarify its confusing decision in Order No. 717-A regarding what utility employees should be considered “marketing function employees.”  [Read more →]

On Monday, November 16, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed more stringent air quality standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2) in an effort to provide additional protection to public health.  The proposal focuses on short-term exposures to peak SO2 levels, and would establish a new national one-hour standard at between 50 and 100 ppb.  [Read more →]

On November 13, 2009 the FERC approved 564 penalties submitted in an Omnibus Notice of Penalty (“Omnibus Filing”) by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”).  [Read more →]

On November 16, 2009, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jim Webb (D-VA) proposed the Clean Energy Act of 2009, S. 2776, during the Winter Meeting of the American Nuclear Society. [Read more →]

On November 18, 2009, Gerry Cauley resigned as CEO of SERC Reliability Corporation and announced he was accepting the position of CEO and President of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”).  [Read more →]