Please mark your calendars for NEM's Annual Membership Meeting and National Restructuring Conference on April 25-26, 2006, in Washington, DC at the Marriott Metro Center focused on "Adding Value and Winning Customers with Innovation, Technology and Service." To view the agenda, use the following hotlink: http://www.energymarketers.com/agenda/2006/April/April2006.htm

We have already confirmed the following to attend: U.S. Congressman Ralph Hall, Chair, House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy, Member, House Energy Committee, Nora Brownell, Commissioner, FERC, Stan Wise, Chair, Georgia Public Service Commission, Alan Schriber, Chair, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, James Cawley, Vice Chair, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Monica Martinez, Commissioner, Michigan Public Service Commission, Kevin Wright, Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission, Ron Cerniglia, Director, NYPSC's Office of Retail Market Development and Calvin Timmerman, Senior Commission Advisor, Maryland Public Service Commission, and John McMahon, President & CEO, Orange and Rockland.

In addition, we will conduct new Mission Critical Workshops. These will include "How to Deal with the Media When they Knock on Your During Price Spikes - Crisis Communications Workshop for Energy Marketers" conducted by Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications. An additional workshop will focus on "New Market Entry 101 - Significant Compliance, Reporting and Certification Requirements and Political, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Entering New Retail Markets (MI, MD, NY, OH)" to be led by John Dempsey of Dickinson Wright, Joelle Ogg of Brunenkant & Cross, Steven Sherman of Krieg DeVault and Lisa Bradley of Hiscock & Barclay. Another workshop will examine "Expanding Market Share and Winning New Customers with Innovation and Technology."

EIA released its annual report on Natural Gas Residential Choice Programs. The Report reveals that 3.9 million (11%) of the 34 million residential gas customers eligible for choice received service from a competitive supplier in 2005. This is 107,900 fewer choice customers than the previous year. Migration is highest in Georgia (1.4 million customers), where Atlanta Gas Light has exited the merchant function, and in Ohio (1.1 million customers). New York's adoption of the PowerSwitch program is among the factors contributing to increased migration levels in 2005. Other notable developments include the extension of pilot programs in Kentucky and Indiana and the Nebraska Commission's commencement of a proceeding to investigate terms of a choice program at Kinder Morgan. The full text of EIA's Report on Natural Gas Residential Choice Programs is available on the NEM Website.

On April 7, 2006, the New York Public Service Commission, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate filed a Complaint against National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (NFG) that: 1) alleged that NFG’s existing rates are unjust and unreasonable and requested the Commission to determine and set the just and reasonable rates that NFG shall be permitted to charge prospectively; 2) alleged that the amount of gas that NFG retains from shippers for transportation and storage compressor fuel, losses and company use gas is excessive and requested the Commission to fix the Company’s fuel and loss retention at a just and reasonable level; and 3) requested a Commission determination as to whether NFG had authority under its tariff to make significant sales of gas retained from shippers for fuel and loss, and, if the Commission concludes that NFG did not possess such authority, requested that the Commission direct NFG to show cause why the it should not be required to disgorge the profits associated with such unauthorized sales. Interventions are due April 27, 2006. NEM will be intervening. Members interested in participating in this case should contact headquarters. The full text of the Complaint is available on the NEM Website.