Clean Power Plan repeal seen as unlikely to diminish demand for low-cost gas
The gas industry appears unfazed by the Trump administration's efforts to repeal the previous White House's Clean Power Plan, emphasizing that the fuel's increased role in the power sector stems from market forces and not the Obama-era emissions rule.
Update: PG&E could face liability risk if found at fault in Calif. wildfires
If PG&E Corp.'s utility infrastructure is found to have played a role in causing some of the massive wildfires sweeping Northern California, the company could face significant liability, especially as the death toll rises. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is still investigating what caused the blazes that started Oct. 8 and continue to burn in Sonoma, Napa and nearby counties, but the regulator said it is taking a hard look at whether Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s power lines or other electrical equipment could be to blame.
South Jersey Industries plans system upgrades in $1.7B buy of NJ, Md. Utilities
South Jersey Industries Inc. sees its planned acquisition of a pair of Southern Co.'s gas utilities as a source of growth through infrastructure upgrades, executives said on an Oct. 16 conference call. The company announced Oct. 16 that Southern Co. Gas subsidiary Pivotal Utility Holdings Inc. plans to sell its utilities Elizabethtown Gas Company Inc. and Elkton Gas Co. to South Jersey Industries for $1.7 billion.
Ohio regulator orders investigation into Duke Energy Ohio's disconnection policy
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered an investigation into Duke Energy Ohio Inc.'s disconnection practices after finding that the utility failed to comply with the state's winter heating season disconnection requirements.
Southwest Gas fined $300,000 for 2 natural gas leaks
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 11 approved a $300,000 fine on Southwest Gas Corp. in connection with two natural gas leak incidents that took place in Las Vegas in 2016. The penalty for violation of federal pipeline safety regulations is one of the highest assessed against a utility, said Public Utilities Commission Chairman Joe Reynolds, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.