Solutions for the increase in the price of natural gas

It's belated, but the Public Service Commission sent out this news release last Friday warning Arkansans of a severe increase in winter gas bills this year. This was the topic of Monday's editorial in the Texarkana Gazette.

A constituent reasks a question he posed here on the blog last summer: why can't natural gas companies purchase natural gas now (it's trading at a three month low) and store it rather than purchasing it on the open market later in the winter when it is expected to be trading at much higher prices? Is there a way to provide an incentive for Arkla and Centerpoint to do this in order to stabilize the winter gas bills of consumers?