Powerdailies could endthe workweek jumbled Friday, July 15, as expectations for diverging demandcoming off the weekend conspire with indecisive front-month natural gas futures.

1.0 cent in the priortrading day, August natural gas futures were extending lower early Friday aheadof the opening bell. At last look, the front-month contract was down 1.1 centsto $2.716/MMBtu on light profit-taking ahead of the weekend break.

Amidany ongoing losses for futures Friday and alongside the inclusion of thelower-load weekend days in the trading product, day-ahead natural gas pricesare poised to leak lower Friday, likely offering pressuring on many powermarkets.

Onthe demand side, forecasts suggest mixed load at the start of the next workweekJuly 18.

Inthe Northeast, demand in New England is poised to decline as it is called toreach 23,400 MW on Friday and 22,060 MW on July 18, while load in New York ispointed higher as it is forecast to see highs at 28,212 MW on Friday and 28,359MW on July 18. In the Mid-Atlantic, PJM Western region demand could rise topeak at 63,932 MW on Friday and 70,053 MW at the return of the workweek, whilePJM Mid-Atlantic load could slump as it is seen hitting a high at 52,457 MW onFriday and 52,232 MW on July 18.

Inthe Midwest, stronger load is in store, as demand in PJM AEP region isprojected to crest at 19,461 MW on Friday and 20,542 MW on July 18, while load inPJM ComEd is expected to top out at 14,650 MW on Friday and 17,783 MW on July18.

Inthe South, demand in ERCOT should near 66,620 MW on Friday and 66,052 MW startof the next workweek, joining the downtrend.In the West, load in CAISO could reach highs at 38,829 MW on Friday and 34,825MW on July 16, but should find some upside support July 18 as full industrialand commercial load recovers at the start of the new business week.

Inforward trade, power values for August were mixed July 14, as seesaw activityat the natural gas futures complex implied volatility in fueling costs.

Inthe East, front-month power transactions deflated by more than $1 atNEPOOL-Mass and shed near 10 cents at PJM West to average in the low $40s atboth hubs, as power deals for delivery in September ran through the low $30s inNew England and through the mid-$30s at PJM West.

Inthe Midwest, price action for August power was almost unchanged at PJM AD butup by about 20 cents day on day at PJM Northern Illinois and MISO Indiana atindices spread in the high $30s overall, while power pricing for Septemberacross the three hubs was spotted in the low $30s.

Inthe South, power products for month-ahead delivery at the ERCOT markets tackedon roughly 50 cents across the board in deals carried out in the high $60soverall, as regional trading activity for September power spanned the low $30s.

Inthe West, prompt-month power values in California fell by about $1 at NorthPath-15 and slid by almost 90 cents at South Path-15 to indexes in the high$30s, as Mid-Columbia August eased by near 10 cents to the high $20s and PaloVerde August faltered by roughly 60 cents to the low $30s. Looking ahead, powerprices for September were pegged in the mid- to high $30s in California and inthe mid- to high $20s elsewhere in the region.

Marketprices and included industry data are current as of the time of publication andare subject to change. For more detailed market data, including power and natural gas indexprices, as well as forwards and futures, visitour Commodities Pages.