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WEI Member News Anaheim Building Gets Gold by Going Green Anaheim Public Utilities is proud to announce that the renovations to their headquarters, Anaheim West Tower, have been awarded with gold-level LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) certification status. The building, which remained occupied during its refurbishment from early 2007 until mid-2009, offered the utility a unique chance to integrate elements of green building and energy efficiency. More Avista Contributes $500,000 to Support Human Care Service Programs Avista announced contributions totaling $500,000 to human care service programs serving citizens in its service areas in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and southern and eastern Oregon. Forty-three non-profit human care service organizations received funds to assist their qualifying clients, who are Avista customers, primarily with energy bills. More BC Hydro and Chevrolet Charge into Clean Mobility Future Vehicle fleets in B.C. are going green thanks to a new partnership between BC Hydro and Chevrolet Canada. More Biogas Program Will Help British Columbia Fight Climate Change Starting in 2011 Terasen Gas has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a new renewable natural gas program for an initial two-year period. In 2011, up to 24,000 residential customers will be able to subscribe to the program on a first-come, first-served basis. More Capital Power Corporation and EPCOR Announce Closing of Exercise of Over-Allotment Option Capital Power Corporation and EPCOR Utilities Inc. announced that the underwriters of the recent offering by EPCOR of common shares of Capital Power have exercised their over-allotment option and acquired an additional 875,000 common shares of Capital Power at a price of $24.00 per common share. More Chelan PUD Slice Auction Helps Stabilize Future Revenues Continuing efforts to improve the long-term financial outlook and keep future rates stable and affordable, Chelan County PUD successfully auctioned another share of the future electric power production from Rocky Reach and Rock Island dams this week. As a result, the PUD now has locked in additional predictable revenue of $45.5 million from Jan. 1, 2012, through the end of 2013, in exchange for a share of power produced by the dams that is surplus to local needs. More Clark Public Utilities Commissioners Approve 2011 Budgets Consumers Power Rolls Out Smart Grid In December CPI began what is planned to be a two-year replacement of its electric meters throughout its six-county service area. Generally referred to as “smart meters,” the new meters will bring added value to CPI customers and to CPI. More Economic Development Offers Entice AMA Plastics to Relocate to Riverside AMA Plastics of Corona, California have announced that they will take advantage of economic development programs available from Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) and Riverside County to relocate their operations to the Hunter Business Park area of Riverside. MoreEdison International Invests another $1 Million in its Green Jobs Education Edison International has invested another $1 million in its innovative Green Jobs Education Initiative for green education and job training at California community colleges. The company has provided a total of $2 million for the program within the last 12 months. More El Paso Corporation and KKR Announce Midstream Joint Venture El Paso Midstream Group, Inc., a subsidiary of El Paso Corporation, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (together with its affiliates, "KKR") announced that El Paso and KKR have executed agreements to create a new midstream joint venture. El Paso Midstream will operate the new venture, and they will each own a 50 percent interest. More Environmental Quality Commission Gives Final Approval to DEQ Recommendation for Boardman Power Plant The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission has approved new rules that allow the Boardman Power Plant, southwest of Boardman, Ore. to meet state and federal environmental requirements with emission control retrofits for sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen over the next ten years and the cessation of coal-fired operations no later than December 31, 2020. The Boardman Plant is operated by Portland General Electric. More GWP Begins Full Deployment of Smart Meter Installations Glendale Water & Power (GWP) started full installation of 120,000 electric and water smart meters on December 9, 2010. Installation of Smart Meters will allow for two-way communication with the utility, and in the near future provide customers with real time usage data to help them conserve energy and water. Glendale Water & Power has contracted with Utility Partners of America to install the meters. More Idaho Power Joins Facebook Idaho Power’s Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/idahopower, gives customers a new and more personal way to interact with the utility, and provides a platform for recognizing positive community contributions. MoreIID Reaches Milestone in Transitional Cluster Moving forward with its commitment to help make California a leader in renewable energy, Imperial Irrigation District reached a milestone in its transitional cluster generator interconnection process on December 27, 2010. More Improved Returns Demonstrate Columbia Salmon Protection, Reports BPA Surface passage improvements for fish now in place at all federal dams on the Lower Columbia and Snake rivers boosted the safe migration of juvenile salmon and steelhead, one of several key advances outlined in a new federal assessment of progress in protecting Columbia and Snake fish. More Mayor Villaraigosa Announces $2 Million LADWP Energy and Water Efficiency Audits and Retrofits for Nonprofit Organizations Mayor Villaraigosa announced that the City of Los Angeles will award up to 80 local nonprofit organizations the opportunity to receive free services to increase the energy and water efficiency of their facilities, lowering their utility bills while benefiting the environment. More MDU Resources Publishes 2010 Sustainability Report MDU Resources Group has published online its 2010 Sustainability Report. The report outlines the corporation’s efforts related to economic, environmental and social impacts. More Multiple Energy-Saving Measures at New Providence Colby Campus When Providence Medical Center opens its new 12-story, 680,000-square-foot medical tower at its Colby campus in 2011, most visitors will be focused on the exceptional medical care offered at the facility. But there’s another, less visible story. Working with Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), Providence is building a facility that expects to achieve the highest level of energy savings of any of its 27 hospitals in the Western United States. More New PSE Powerhouse Will Aid Baker River Salmon, Boost Hydropower Puget Sound Energy has begun constructing a new powerhouse on northwest Washington’s Baker River to aid salmon runs while boosting the utility’s output of renewable hydroelectricity. More PGE Employees and Retirees Donate Record $1.65 Million to Nonprofits Project APPLE Benefits Needy Residents through Electric Bill Assistance Pasadena Water and Power’s Project APPLE (Assisting Pasadena People with Limited Emergencies) is a charitable fund that helps needy residents pay their electric bills thanks to the generosity of other customers who donate funding when paying their own electric bills. MoreRenewable Gifts: Blue Sky Funds Awarded for Nine Solar Energy Projects in Utah Funds awarded by Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program in 2010 will support the construction of nine community-based renewable energy projects in Utah. The Blue Sky gifts will help increase the amount of renewable electric generation in the state, reduce electricity costs for community organizations and provide opportunities for Utah residents to learn more about renewable energy technologies. More SCPPA Wins Bond Buyer’s Deal of the Year Award for Financing of Milford Wind Corridor Phase I Project The Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) issuance of $237.24 million Milford Wind Corridor Phase I Project Revenue Bonds won The Bond Buyer’s “Deal of the Year,” which was awarded on December 9 at a ceremony held in New York City. More Seattle City Light Wins National Recognition for Energy Efficiency Seattle City Light won a special 30th Anniversary Award from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for outstanding contributions to the field of energy efficiency. MoreSMUD Board of Directors Approves 2011 Budget The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Board of Directors has approved a $1.54 billion budget. The 2011 budget provides funding for all programs, projects and initiatives needed to meet the strategic targets set by the SMUD Directors, cutting costs but without compromising customer service. More Southern Oregon Solar Projects Get Blue Sky Funding Solar projects in Myrtle Point, Roseburg and Grants Pass have received funding from Pacific Power’s Blue Sky renewable energy program. More Southwest Gas Announces Pricing of $125 Million 4.45% Senior Notes Due 2020 Southwest Gas Corporation announced in December that it had priced a registered public offering of $125 million aggregate principal amount of its Senior Notes due 2020. The notes will bear interest at a rate of 4.45% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year beginning on June 1, 2011. The notes will mature on December 1, 2020. The offering closed on December 10, 2010. More SRP Educates Students and Parents with Bilingual Calendars In an effort to help parents build a strong educational foundation for their children, SRP is offering “Aprendiendo Juntos en AZ/Learning Together in AZ,” a bilingual educational calendar that can serve as a daily tool to help them become more actively engaged in their children's education. More Sunlight Helps Power Lovelock Schools The Pershing County School District has installed nearly 300 kilowatts of photovoltaic solar power to generate much of the electricity for three schools in Lovelock. Federal grant dollars and an alternative energy rebate program created by the Nevada State Legislature, administered by NV Energy, are covering most of the project costs. More U.S. Study Finds Keystone XL Pipeline Would Benefit U.S. Economy TransCanada Corporation highlights the findings of a new, independent study that says the Keystone XL pipeline is needed to replace dwindling crude oil supplies at U.S. refineries. The study also found the transportation and processing of oil sands crude would inject $100-600 million into the U.S. economy each year. More Westport Announces Vedder Transport Order for LNG Trucks in Concert with a Refueling Station Planned by Terasen Gas Westport Innovations Inc., a global leader in alternative fuel, low-emissions transportation technologies, announced that Vedder Transport Ltd. of Abbotsford, British Columbia has issued a purchase order for 50 Peterbilt 386 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks featuring Westport HD Systems. More Williams Partners Completes Latest Acquisition of Midstream Assets in Marcellus Shale Williams Partners L.P. announced it has completed the acquisition of Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation's midstream assets in Susquehanna County, Pa., for $150 million. More
Rest of the West
PG&E Directors Commission Independent Study of Utility's Natural Gas System The Boards of Directors of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced that they have retained Process Performance Improvement Consultants (PPIC), a unit of the Blacksmith Group, to conduct an independent review of PG&E's natural gas transmission and distribution system practices. More SDG&E to Open New Education Center for Green Tech and Energy Efficiency San Diego soon will have a new facility where local businesses and tradespeople can learn about the latest green technologies and energy efficiency programs. More
Xcel Energy Named “Power Company of the Year” Xcel Energy was named the “Power Company of the Year” at the Platts Global Energy Awards, held in New York. Dick Kelly, chairman and CEO, accepted the award on behalf of the company. More
On the Move
Thomas Sayles Elected President of the LA Board of Water and Power Commissioners; Eric Holoman Elected Vice President More Renée Taylor Elected SMUD Board President; Nancy Bui-Thompson Elected Vice President More Edison International Appoints Ron Litzinger, Pedro Pizarro as Leaders at Subsidiaries More Ron Nichols Appointed General Manager at LADWP More Edison International Promotes Lynda Ziegler, Steve Pickett at SCE More Questar CFO Martin Craven to Retire; Kevin Hadlock named Executive Vice President and CFO More EPCOR CEO Don Lowry Named Business Person of the Year More
News
Improvements in Efficiency May Lead to Higher Levels of Energy Use Energy efficiency is one of the most uncontroversial strategies for reducing energy consumption in order to achieve greenhouse gas reductions. But some economists warn that a phenomenon known as the “rebound effect” could result in efficiency gains leading ultimately to higher energy consumption. MoreTax Bill Extends Breaks for Green Industry, Reduces Homeowner Efficiency Credits The tax deal approved in the late hours of 2010 extended some credits for the energy industry, even reviving one that had expired, but it cut back significantly on credits for individual homeowners seeking to make efficiency improvements. More EPA Announces GHG Regulation Schedule, Delays Solvent Disclosure, Ozone and Mercury Limit Rules On December 23, the EPA announced its plans to regulate greenhouse emissions from power plants and oil refineries by requiring stricter pollution control technology at those facilities. In conjunction with rules covering emissions from cars and light trucks, this rule would position the agency to regulate the sources of over 55 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. More Court Temporarily Blocks EPA Move to Directly Regulate Texas Companies The EPA’s move to begin issuing greenhouse gas permits directly to industry operating in Texas was temporarily blocked by a federal court pending a decision on Texas’ request for a permanent stay. More California Air Board Adopts Cap-and-Trade Rules Last month the California Air Resources Board adopted carbon trading rules designed to help lower greenhouse gas emissions with minimal impact to industry. More Cap-and-Trade Losing Favor In 2010, national climate change legislation featuring cap-and-trade programs fell apart in both the U.S. and in Canada. Recently, the Chicago Climate Exchange closed the nation’s first cap-and-trade exchange. As the economic downturn lingers, the future of regional cap-and-trade arrangements seems to be in jeopardy, as well. More U.S. Southwest Climate May be Vulnerable to Small Temperature Increases The National Academy of Sciences recently published a collection of papers addressing climate change and drought in the U.S. Southwest that together describe a region where the combination of population growth and rising temperatures could prove catastrophic. More Cancun Climate Talks Make Official and Unofficial Headway While an international consensus on carbon reduction commitments remains elusive, lengthy negotiations in Cancun last month resulted in 193 nations’ delegates reaching agreement on a framework to help developing countries address the effects of climate change and curb carbon emissions. More China Now Capable of Re-Processing Spent Nuclear Fuel China Central Television reported that Chinese scientists have successfully re-processed spent fuel from nuclear power plants, a breakthrough that has the potential to significantly increase the amount of power that can be generated from uranium fuel. More Power Demand to Rebound, Gas Market Share to Double, Half of Coal Plants to be Retired, Says Black & Veatch While improvements in efficiency continue to effect a disconnection between GDP growth and growth in electricity demand, over the long term, power demand growth will recover and a delayed cap-and-trade system, which it projects will be implemented by 2016, will have a transformational effect on the US power infrastructure. More Alaska Pipeline Gas Can’t Compete in Medium-Term, Says EIA Report A report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration suggests that an Alaska gas pipeline would be uneconomical for the next 20 years, in light of current high construction costs and low wellhead prices. The report examines the U.S. energy market through 2035. More MacKenzie Gas Pipeline Receives Approval The proposed $16.1 billion, 740-mile MacKenzie Gas Project, which would transport gas from Canada’s Northwest Territories to the North American market, has received approval from Canada’s National Energy Board following a six-year review. More Arizona Solar Plant Will Store Heat for After-Dark Power Generation In late December Abengoa Solar Inc. announced it had received a $1.45 billion federal loan guarantee for the construction of a 250 MW solar plant near Phoenix. More U.K. Proposes Significant Power Policy Reforms Reform measures proposed by the U.K. government seek to spur investment in low-carbon sources of electricity by introducing emissions standards and creating a price floor for carbon. More Google Unveils Earth Engine at Cancun Conference At the International Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Google announced the launch of its new “Earth Engine” platform, designed to monitor and measure changes in the earth's environment on a global scale. More Western Natural Gas Market Review More
Western LNG Update Trade Group Says U.S. LNG Exports Bad for Domestic Manufacturing More Concept Tanker is LNG Fueled More B.C. Terminal Could Gain Asian Market Access for Canadian LNG More Haisla First Nation Sells Option for Stake in Kitimat LNG More U.S. District Court Dismisses Suit against Sempra More LNG to Increasingly Provide for U.K. Gas Consumption More NMFS Initiates Formal Consultation on Jordan Cove LNG Project More |
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