DOE Eia weekly Gas storage report 11/13/15
Here is this weeks’ EIA natural gas storage report. Working gas in storage was 3,978 Bcf as of Friday, November 6, 2015, according to EIA estimates. This represents a net increase of 49 Bcf from the previous week. Stocks were 373 Bcf higher than last year at this time and 173 Bcf above the 5-year average of 3,805 Bcf.
EIA estimate 49-53 Bcf gas
VS
Actual was 49 Bcf
A build within those expectations would boost natural gas storage stocks to a new record of 3.978 Tcf to 3.982 Tcf. It also would be more than the 47-Bcf build reported at this time a year ago, and it would more than double the 23-Bcf five-year average increase, according to EIA data. The wider range of analysts’ expectations for the week was for an injection between 28 Bcf and 78 Bcf. Stephen Schork, principal of The Schork Report, said wider ranges of estimates are not unusual at this time of the year, as the market begins to shift from injections to withdrawals.
Who oversees a monopoly that is spending recklessly?
A utility is granted a monopoly to conduct its business for the benefit of the public. Without competition (and who would want more poles on the street or the road ripped more for more pipes), state regulators decide if the utility is spending money in the public interest; that is for improving the distribution of energy.
Peoples Gas estimated repairs to maintain its pipes at $4.5 Billion in just a year that number is now $8 BILLION.
This after a consultant was hired that reviewed Peoples work practice in the repairs and found them to be in disarray.
Recall, a utility monopoly earns profit by spending money; that is they earn a rate of return for borrowing money and investing it to perform its job. The regulators are charged with making sure we, the public, get its money worth.
In Illinois, the regulators overseeing utilities is called the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Without diligence and competency by the ICC, Peoples Gas can waste money and still earn a profit without the residents receiving any benefit.
If there is no competition for service, we need a strong watchdog to ensure we get value for our investment.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
Monopoly or Market Choice: should the monopolies decide?
State law makers are the ones who decide on the passage of laws, but business and their lobbyist try to steer them.
So do monopolies…as has been recently demonstrated in Michigan.
State lawmakers passed an energy bill reasserting monopoly control back to the state electric utilities.
The state lawmakers in rewarding DTE and Consumers Energy with more monopoly control did so at the expense to state residents.
Consider:
- With only 10% of business able to choose their wholesale supplier since 2001; they saved $1.1 billion. But they want to roll this back.
- They will protect outdated and polluting power plants because it benefits the utilities.
- Michigan has some of the highest electrical costs in the Mid-west, because they have little competition and state lawmakers want it this way.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
http://blogs.detroitnews.com/politics/2015/11/09/dte-consumers-closer-full-energy-monopoly/
Price Protection vs. Realgy PriceWatchTM
NIPSCO sent out a letter to residents offer a fixed price . Realgy sent out an email, followed by a phone call offering a fixed price.
What’s the difference:
| Realgy PriceWatchTM | NIPSCO Price Protection |
| Term: Nov 2015 – Mar 2016 | TERM: 12 months |
| Price: $0.0345 / therm | Price: $0.0475 / therm |
BIG Difference: $0.0131 / therm
NIPSCo’s offer covers the summer months when natural gas pricing tends to drop.
Realgy’s PriceWatchTM covers only the winter months, when gas pricing is the highest and most likely to go higher.
Over the last 12 months Realgy has been 27.74% below NIPSCo’s price; this amounted to $3,784 in savings for our average customer.
So which fixed price is protecting you?
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
Realgy’s PriceWatchTM: http://realgyenergyservices.com/request-for-service/pricewatchtm/
NIPSCO Price Protection Service: https://www.nipsco.com/our-services/price-protection-services
Utilities spent over $500,000 on lobbying politicians…guess who they were lobbying against?
Michigan utilities are monopolies; they have no competitors. So, why spend $1,600,000 (one million six hundred thousand dollars):
1. $500,000 in donations to political office holders
2. $800,000 in TV ads
3. 39 registered lobbying firms
4. 30 lobbyist agents
Who is this lobbying action against…. in a word, US. Anyone who uses energy in Michigan.
The utilities are attempting to prevent cleaner energy, expanding customer choice programs and allowing competition.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/11/utility_influence_in_michigan.html
MI Lawmakers target electric cars to fund roads
So, the theory is; that state and federal taxes on gasoline purchases fund road construction and maintenance. Yes, that is theory.
In practice, the gas tax goes to the general fund and is used at the discretion of lawmakers.
So, it’s interesting that the some 5% of car owners that own electric or hybrid vehicles would be targeted for a tax increase.
Yes, some MI lawmakers think of these car owners as not paying their share for road maintenance because they do not purchase gasoline (or purchase less of it).
Ah, theory…..
In reality; there are not enough electric or hybrid cars to make a real difference and taxing them with the idea that it would actually contribute to road maintenance…. sounds like a dead end to me.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/2015/11/02/lawmakers-target-electric-cars-fund-roads/75049254/
PriceWatchTM
NG Futures Hit Fresh 14-yr Lows.
As Realgy is preparing to issue our annual PriceWatchTM Service, natural gas pricing is hitting its lows.
Look for the coming winter fixed price offer soon.
MI utilities are misleading you….
MISO area of electricity control is shown below in Green
If you don’t have a cup of flour but your neighbor does, can you still bake your cookies? Sure, you borrow a cup and share the cookies.
A Michigan marketing group, on behalf of two MI electric utilities, is running advertisements trying to say that the closing of state coal fired power plants will leave MI without energy. This statement is WRONG. Michigan like most of Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Iowa are all interconnected with Michigan. That is; each state’s energy generation and electric consumption is shared amongst all. A shortfall in one state is met by a surplus in another state. The electric transmission system ensures the power is delivered.
So MISO, which stand for Midwest Independent System Operator, is responsible for the electricity throughout the Midwest. Their forecast; a surplus of energy for the foreseeable future.
MI utilities want to retain coal generation to improve their companies economics. It has nothing to do with supplying power. In fact, retaining those coal fired power plants will prevent cleaner and renewable energy resources from generating electricity.
So don’t believe the scare tactics that you might see. If MI utilities want to retain coal generation, they can choose to do so. Modernize them and keep them viable. That way, they can serve the public and their companies honestly.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
DOE EIA Weekly Gas Storage Report 10/19/15
Working gas in storage was 3,733 Bcf as of Friday, October 9, 2015, according to EIA estimates. This represents a net increase of 100 Bcf from the previous week. Stocks were 447 Bcf higher than last year at this time and 168 Bcf above the 5-year average of 3,565 Bcf.
EIA estimates 91-95 Bcf
vs
Actual inject was 100 Bcf
An injection within expectations would be less than the 96-Bcf build reported at this time in 2014 but more than the 87-Bcf five-year average increase, according to EIA data. The wider range of analysts’ expectations for this week was for an injection of 77 Bcf to 104 Bcf. Last week, the EIA reported a 95-Bcf injection that increased inventories to 3.633 Tcf, which was 443 Bcf, or 13.9%, more than the year-ago inventory of 3.19 Tcf, and 155 Bcf, or 4.5%, more than the five-year average of 3.48 Tcf. “Demand picked up slightly, mostly due to increased heating load as temperatures are starting to decline on seasonal trends,” said Bentek Energy, a unit of Platts. “The increased heating demand was met with lower power burn demand. However, power-burn demand trended higher as the week progressed after starting … the week at relatively weak levels, and set a new single-day high for the month of October late in the storage week.” Greater demand decreased injection activity 24% week over week in the East Region, Bentek said. “This was partially offset by stronger injection activity within Bentek’s sample of facilities in both the Producing Region and the West,” Bentek said. FirstEnergy Capital analyst Martin King said that despite above-average temperatures during the reporting week, temperatures were cooler in the East, causing some “noticeable overnight heating loads.”
One program offers energy efficiency, savings and improved air quality… so why do MI lawmakers want to get rid of it?
Imagine: every $1 dollar you spent provided actual savings of $4.38 in ONE YEAR! Now, consider this is energy savings, so your savings continue every year going forward.
Awesome, right…. well, not if you’re a MI state lawmaker.
The average MI customer pays $1-$2 each month to fund energy efficiency programs under Integrated Resource Planning (IRP). The IRP program invests in the energy savings programs that provide energy savings, cleaner air and reduced energy consumption. While this is certainly a cost to consumers, the benefits accrue for everyone.
Gov. Rick Snyder has advocated expanding energy efficiency standards, and there appears no better way than to continue the IRP. Realgy supports the continuation of the IRP program.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include Guaranteed SavingsTM, ManagedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article: