Not everybody's crying (Jack Bog's Blog)

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on February 13, 2009 12:20 PM. The previous post in this blog was Sam Adams and kids?. The next post in this blog is Have a great weekend. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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« Sam Adams and kids? | Main | Have a great weekend »

Friday, February 13, 2009

Not everybody's crying

The fat cats at the gas company got quite a present from Santa this year.

Posted at 12:20 PM | Permalink

Comments (9)

The price increases last year weren't rolled back when the wholesale rates fell late in the year, as you noted here. Until we have a more arms-length approach from regulatory authorities, I think the situation will continue.

Posted by john rettig | February 13, 2009 2:09 PM

Lets see, stock price down on news of 12% increase in 4th quarter earnings.

No mention in article of officers' or directors' salaries or bonuses.

I know I'm missing somerthing -- and I'm one of the folks with a rope looking to hang the former head of Merrill Lynch, for example - but I don't see anything in this article which suggests "fat cats" .

Help me out.

Posted by Nonny Mouse | February 13, 2009 3:31 PM

Heard an interview with a guy who runs a gas company. He claims that they have throttled back the refineries to force gas prices back up even with oil falling. Again, according to him they want gas prices in the 2.05 to 2.10/gallon range for their profit margin.

Posted by Darrin | February 13, 2009 4:52 PM

The way Oregon regulation works, the gas utilities' earnings can go up when customers use more energy (and down when customers use less). That's because the majority of utiltiy costs (except for gas commodity itself) are fixed, but the costs are recovered on a "per unit sold" basis. So, if more is sold due to cold weather, they may collect more than the average the utility commission estimated they would when the rates were set and earnings go up. They also collect less than the average the utility commission estimates when weather is warm. And then earnings go down. No one complains when earnings go down.

If you don't like this, you can sign up for NW Natural's WARM program and pay for the fixed costs you impose on the system, and only those fixed costs, regardless of how much or lttle natural gas you use.

You'll always pay for the exact commodity cost of gas, which they flow through to you at their cost of acquiring it in the commodity market. The local gas utilities have no control over the world commodity price of natural gas.

Posted by sa | February 13, 2009 5:36 PM

Guess I should add, Darrin, that the natural gas you buy from your local gas utility is only indirectly related to the gasoline you pay for at the pump. Gasoline prices may go up if producers/refiners limit output to tilt the supply/demand basis.

But the story was about natural gas.

Posted by sa | February 13, 2009 5:45 PM

We're pretty much stuck because our Portland utilities are all privately owned, monopology, for profit businesses. I don't know why PGE and Pacific Power even bother to advertise. It's not as if I could "switch" to Pacific Power if I didn't like PGE's rates. And NW Natural is the only gas game in town.

Posted by NW Portlander | February 13, 2009 6:43 PM

^That always puzzled me too!

Posted by MarkDaMan | February 13, 2009 8:56 PM

On my 1/15/09 bill I saved a whopping $2.89 on a $327.44 bill through the "Warm" program. I paid $1.81 MORE on my December bill for a $236.42 bill.

The program doesn't seem to make a heck of a difference...

Posted by Frank Dufay | February 14, 2009 1:56 AM

Utilities are regulated monopolies, and they are regulated for a reason. Read "Everything for Sale" by Robert Kuttner. It is about the history, and successes and failures, of the deregulation impulse since the 1970s. Many of the same deregulatory efforts that are afflicting us today in the financial markets were also tried in other markets. Utilities were the last to come under public pressure to deregulate, and it was a disaster. Remember the energy crisis of 2000-01? Right now, most states are slowly moving back to tighter regulation. The OPUC does a good job for Oregon customers.

But Frank, thanks for that info on the WARM program. I'm signed up for it too but "frankly" paid no attention to its effect on my bills.

Posted by sa | February 14, 2009 8:43 AM

In Vino Veritas

Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
Cameron, Chardonnay
B.R. Cohn, Cabernet, Silver Label 2006
Graffigna, Cabernet 2005
Palo Alto, Reserve Red 2008
Menguante, Garnacha 2008
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Felsina Berardenga, Vin Santo 1997
Anne Amie, Pinot Gris 2009
McKinley Springs, Bombing Ramge Red 2007
Vieux Papes Red
Dionysius Chardonnay 2009
Haden Fig, Pinot Noir 2009
Vega Montan, Mencia 2008
Chateau la Vernede, Coteaux du Languedoc 2007
Mount Defiance, Hellfire (White) 2008
Root: 1, Cabernet 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Pinot Grigio 2009
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 White, 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 Rose, 2007
Abacela, Grenache Rose 2009
Avia Cabernet 2004
Lemelson Pinot Noir, Thea's Selection 2007
Chateau de la Roulerie, Rose d'Anjou 2009
Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde Rose
La Ferme Julien, Rose 2008
Cana's Feast, Bricco Red, 2006
Hogue, Genesis Merlot, 2008
Owen Roe, Sharecropper's Cabernet, 2008
Kim Crawford, Unoaked Chardonnay 2008
J. Scott, Pinot Noir 2008
Edmunds St. John, White, Heart of Gold 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2006
Stevenot, Cabernet, Sierra Foothills, "Stanford" 2000
Portuga, Vinho Rose 2009
Taylor Fladgate, First Estate Reserve Porto
Franciscan, Cabernet, Napa 2006
Chaparral de Vega Sindoa, Garnacha 2008
Quinta da Aveleda, Vinho Verde 2008
St. Francis, Chardonnay Sonoma 2008
E. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, 2007
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Noir 2008
St. Innocent, Pinot Noir 2006
Jigsaw, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Indian Wells 2007
Charles Shaw, Chardonnay 2008
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Rosé 2009
Cameron, Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Il Valore, Sangiovese, Giovane, Puglia 2008
Duck Pond, Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope 2007
Kim Crawford, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
Domaine du Pesquier, Cotes du Rhone 2005
Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006
Domaine Matrot, Chardonnay, Bourgogne 2007
David Hill, Oregon Sparkling Wine, Brut
Chandler Reach, Monte Regalo 2006
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2008
Kirkland, Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
D'Aragon, Old Vine Garnacha 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2005
Pavin & Riley, Merlot 2006
David Hill, Estate Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2006
Castle Rock, Paso Robles Cabernet 2006
Magnificent, Cabernet, Steak House 2008
Conundrum 2008
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
La Granja, Tempranillo 360, 2008
Santa Rita, Mendalla Real Cabernet 2006
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Merlot 2006
Andezon, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
Collegiata, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Troon, Druid's Fluid 2008
La Granja, Tempranillo 2008
Monte Antico, Toscana 2006
Vieux Papes, Blanc de Blancs

The Occasional Book

Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 54
At this date last year: 50
Total run in 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269