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WEI Member News
ATCO Electric Enters International Alliance to Complete Capital Work in Alberta ATCO Electric has reached an alliance agreement with UK-based Balfour Beatty and Australia-based United Group Limited to assist ATCO Electric in completing its capital program. More Avista Disappointed in BPA Decision That Will Increase Customer Bills Avista residential and small-farm customers in Washington and Idaho will likely see an increase in monthly electric bills because of a significant loss in benefits to the company under the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) Residential Exchange Program, which Avista passes to qualifying customers as a rate credit on monthly electric bills. More CPUC Decision Supports Southern California Edison’s Request for Smart Metering Funding The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved $1.63 billion in funding for Southern California Edison’s (SCE) smart metering program, Edison SmartConnect. More Construction Begins on Calgary Downtown District Energy Centre ENMAX Corporation is pleased to announce the start of construction on the Calgary Downtown District Energy Centre. The heat generating facility, located at 9th Avenue and 4th Street SE, is part of the multi-phase Calgary District Energy Project which will provide heating to up to 10 million square feet of new and existing downtown buildings through a network of underground insulated pipes. More El Paso Pipeline Partners Completes Acquisition of Additional Interests in Assets from El Paso Corporation El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. has completed the previously announced acquisition of an additional 30 percent interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company (CIG) and an additional 15 percent interest in Southern Natural Gas Company (SNG) from El Paso Corporation for $736 million. El Paso Pipeline Partners now owns a 40-percent interest in CIG and a 25-percent interest in SNG. More Five Plug-In Vehicle Charging Stations Now Operating in Portland and Salem To help drivers in Oregon be more sustainable, Portland General Electric (PGE) recently completed installation of five plug-in vehicle charging stations — enough to charge 12 vehicles — in the Portland and Salem area, with several more on the way. More FortisAlberta Deploys Automated Metering Infrastructure FortisAlberta, the regulated electricity distribution company in central and southern Alberta, announced that it has begun full implementation of Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This project involves the installation of electronic meters across FortisAlberta’s service territory to improve customer service and replace the Company’s manual meter reading system. More
Four Colstrip Transmission System Partners Will Evaluate Potential Upgrade to Accommodate Renewables NorthWestern Energy and three other ownership partners in the Colstrip Transmission System (CTS) have agreed to proceed with a study of potential upgrades to the existing 500-kilovolt (kV) system in Montana.More Hawaiian Electric Joins September Global Coastal Cleanup Effort Sporting bright t-shirts and carrying trash bags in glove-covered hands, more than 100 employees of Hawaiian Electric Company and their families took part in a global coastal cleanup effort coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy to rid coastlines and waters of debris and trash on Saturday, September 20, 2008. More Nampa Schools Receive $157,000 In Energy Efficiency Incentives In September Idaho Power presented four checks to the Nampa School District totaling $156,929 for energy efficient construction at Lone Star Middle School and Lake Ridge Elementary, and energy efficiency upgrades at two Nampa High School buildings. More Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power Renamed NV Energy Sierra Pacific Resources has announced that, effective immediately, the company's utilities, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, will do business under the name NV Energy.More
New SMUD Web Tool Shows Energy Saved by Planting Shade Trees The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has developed an online tool to help customers determine the amount of energy saved by shade trees. Customers now are able to determine the best tree and best location for the greatest savings on their electric bills. More NW Natural Receives EcoLogical Certification
PacifiCorp Completes Purchase of Chehalis Power Plant Customers of PacifiCorp in six western states began benefiting in September from the power produced by a modern, efficient natural gas-fired generating plant located in Chehalis, Wash., about 80 miles north of Portland along Interstate 5. More PNM, Key Parties Reach Agreement to Add New Resources PNM and several key parties filed an agreement with state regulators that, if approved, would allow the utility to add two existing, natural gas-fired power plants to its energy portfolio to serve the growing needs of its electric customers. The plants are part of a planned portfolio of resources that balances reliability, cost to customers and environmental impact. More
Province, BC Hydro Support Student Climate Initiative The province and BC Hydro have contributed close to $157,000 to the first phase of the B.C. Campus Climate Network's 'Go Beyond' campaign to educate and inspire B.C. students and youth about ways they can make carbon-smart lifestyle choices, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced. More Puget Sound Energy Ranks Third in the West in Customer Satisfaction Study Puget Sound Energy improved 21 points in overall customer satisfaction, making it third in the West Region and placing in the top quartile nationwide in the 2008 J.D. Power and Associates Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study(SM) released Sept. 25. More Seattle's Skagit Project Receives Recertification as Low-Impact Hydro The Low Impact Hydropower Institute has awarded Seattle City Light’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project a recertification. More SRP wins 2008 Global Metering Award The Utility Planning Network, a worldwide association of utility professionals, has named SRP as the winner of the organization's 2008 Global Award for "Best Use of Smart Metering as a Customer Care Tool." More
Terasen Gas Targets Farms, Sewage Treatment Plants and Landfills in Call for New Biogas Energy Sources Terasen Gas has announced plans for a new B.C.-wide alternative energy program seeking supplies of bio-methane developed from the conversion of organic waste from sewage treatment facilities, landfill sites, the agricultural sector and other industry that can be used as an energy source to heat homes and businesses, provide fuel for hot water heaters, stoves, clothes dryers and barbecues. TransCanada’s Hal Kvisle Honored with “Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year” Award Hal Kvisle, president and chief executive officer of TransCanada Corporation, has been awarded the prestigious Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year Award for 2008. More
Williams Completes Acquisition of Barnett Shale Natural Gas Reserves Williams has completed the purchase of certain interests in the Barnett Shale for approximately $147 million from privately held Aspect Abundant Shale LP and other parties. More
On the Move
IDACORP and Idaho Power Company Elect Richard Dahl to Boards of Directors More
Thomas A. Thomas Elected Director of Southwest Gas Corporation More
Idaho Power Company Appoints Jeff L. Malmen Vice President, Public Affairs More
NW Natural Hires MardiLyn Saathoff as Corporate SecretaryMore
Jay Takemura Joins PSE as Project Coordinator More
Latisha Hill Appointed to Washington Transportation Commission More
Chelan PUD Organization to Rely on Fewer Executives More
News
First Regional Cap-and-Trade Auction Sets Carbon Fee at $3 per Ton In the country’s first cap-and-trade based greenhouse gas auction, power companies spent nearly $40 million on credits. That money will go toward renewable efforts and the development of efficiency technologies in the Northeast. More
Credit Crunch Reverberates Through Energy Sector Wall Street credit-market woes and problems at some large power companies have been threatening energy market trading. More
Buffett Purchase Could Affect U.S. Nuclear Industry’s Future When Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. acquired Constellation Energy Group in a $4.7 billion cash deal, it also gained control of three nuclear power plants and half of UniStar Nuclear Energy LLC, a prominent nuclear plant development company. More
Pickens Clean Energy Plan May Be Unrealistic, Say Analysts Some energy experts claim that oil magnate T. Boone Pickens’ 10 year plan to boost domestic production of renewable energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil may be unrealistic. More
CARB Says Greenhouse Rules Will Boost California Economy Though energy companies will probably take a hit from greenhouse gas emissions restrictions, the state’s economy as a whole may benefit from them, says a report by the California Air Resources Board. More
Grid Vulnerabilities to Cyber-attack Prompt Government Attention The vulnerability of the U.S. electrical grid to a cyber-attack is forcing politicians to evaluate broadening federal authority over electric companies. More Underground Coal Combustion Could Tap Inaccessible Reserves India and China are investigating large-scale commercial coal projects that would burn the fuel deep underground, eliminating the need to extract it and sequestering some of the gases produced by its combustion. More Computer Makers Helping Reduce Power Costs Energy use in large corporate data centers has increased exponentially in recent years, prompting big computer makers like IBM and Hewlett-Packard to look at the profit potential in helping corporate buyers cut back. More Smart Electronics Will Help Consumers and Utilities Save The introduction of inexpensive, intelligent thermostats and controllers into people’s homes promises to help utility customers reduce energy consumption and save money. More Study Says Proved Unconventional Gas Reserves Were Underestimated A new study suggests that previous forecasts have underestimated the natural gas potential from unconventional sources such as coalbed methane, tight sands and gas shale formations and that, based on 2007 demand levels, the U.S. has 118 years’ worth of natural gas reserves. More Western Cap-and-Trade Plan Will Face Challenges Western state and provincial legislatures are expected to have a tough time working out the details of the proposed cap-and-trade plan of the Western Climate Initiative. More
Western Solar Manufacturing Growth May be Slowed By Supply Glut The solar manufacturing industry, which in recent years has seen demand far outpacing supply, may be about to experience the opposite. Experts are projecting a worldwide flood of supply that may result in U.S. firms suffering in the short term. More TransCanada Open Season Will Beat Denali TransCanada Corp. will launch its open season for its Alaskan natural gas pipeline in early 2010, several months ahead of the Denali pipeline group owned by North Slope producers BP and ConocoPhillips. More Renewable Energy Players Have Conflicting Interests While renewable energy companies joined forces to help preserve the tax credits that help ensure their continued survival, there is conflict beneath the surface since some of the biggest solar and wind players also make money from oil and gas. More Engineers Scarce Amid Power Plant Construction Boom Graduation rates for engineers are down 20 percent over the last twenty years, making competition even for inexperienced engineers fierce amid a worldwide power plant construction boom. More
Western Natural Gas Market Review More
Western LNG Update
FERC Approves Bradwood Landing Project, With Conditions
FERC Commissioner Says Bradwood LNG Facility is Safe, Necessary More
FERC Issues Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Jordan Cove, Pacific Connector More
Kitimat LNG to Export LNG at Planned Import Terminal More
Senator Calls for LNG to be Kept Closer to Home More
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October 2008 News Team |
October 2008
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