NEM booked the new Embassy Suites Hotel Washington D.C. Convention Center for the Annual Spring Membership Meeting and Restructuring Conference on April 29 and 30, 2008. This year's theme is "Strategic Energy, Security & Advanced Technology Policies - Think Globally, Save Locally." Please register at this hotlink. A final agenda can be viewed at this hotlink.

Hotel accommodations have also been arranged at this facility located at 900 10th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. NEM has secured preferred hotel rates of $259.00 per night. Please call (202) 739-2001 to make your reservations.

Thus far, we have confirmed the following featured speakers for the event: U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), Member, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, US House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA), FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer, FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff, CFTC Commissioner Michael Dunn, Natural Resources Canada Minister Gary Lunn, David Wales, Deputy Director, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, Massachusetts DPU Chairman, Paul Hibbard, New York PSC Chairman, Garry Brown, Texas PUC Chairman, Barry Smitherman and Pennsylvania PUC Energy Advisor, Eric Matheson.

EIA issued its 2007 Status of Natural Gas Residential Choice Programs revealing that approximately 13% or 4.6 million of the 35 million residential customers eligible for gas choice were purchasing from a competitive supplier. This represents an 11% percent increase from 2006 in which 4.2 million customers were participating in residential gas choice. Programs in Georgia, New York, Ohio and Michigan accounted for nearly all of the increase. In all but five states and D.C., choice program participation increased or remained the same. 91 marketers provided service to residential gas choice customers in 2007, an 11% increase from the previous year (82 marketers provided service in 2006).

The full text of EIA's 2007 Status of Natural Gas Residential Choice Programs is available at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/restructure/restructure.html

EIA is proposing a three year extension of its natural gas data collection program, including EIA-910, Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey. Additionally, EIA is proposing revisions to EIA-910. First, EIA proposes that respondents provide customer count, volume and revenue data for each LDC territory in which it operates, instead of providing that data at the State level as it is currently collected. Second, EIA proposes a change in states for which information is collected. Alaska, California, Maine, Oklahoma and Wyoming are proposed to be added for collection for EIA-910 beginning in July 2009, and Massachusetts and Michigan are proposed to be removed from collection beginning in January 2009. Finally, EIA proposes that volume data on EIA-910 only be collected in Mcf, rather than Mcf or Btu. Comments on EIA's proposal are due June 2, 2008. The full texts of the Comment Request, Proposed Revisions to EIA-910 Instructions and Survey are available on the NEM Website.

FERC's Order 704 and corresponding Form 552 require annual reporting of wholesale natural gas transactions. Form 552 is due on an annual basis beginning May 1, 2009, for the 2008 reporting year. As had been requested by NEM, Commission Staff will convene a technical conference for the purpose of discussing issues related to preparation and submission of Form 552. The conference will be held April 22, 2008. The conference will be organized to address questions from natural gas buyers and sellers.

Stakeholder questions for consideration at the conference were encouraged to be submitted in advance. NEM asked in its submission: A) How should a “NYMEX Plus” priced contract be categorized under Form 552?; B) How is pricing reported on Form 552 when an initial contract is priced at “NYMEX Plus” with the option for a buyer to trigger a fixed price at a future date?; and C) Are volumes priced as “NYMEX Plus” intended to be excluded from reporting on Form 552 as “Any Type of Financially-Settled Transaction”?.

Registration for those that wish to participate in the technical conference by phone is due April 11, 2008, at: https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/form-552-04-22-form.asp.

The full texts of the Notice of Technical Conference and Stakeholder Question Submissions are available on the NEM Website.