June 2009
 

Upcoming Events

July 27 - 29
2009 Business Acumen for Emerging Leaders
- Session 4

Colorado Springs, CO

Sept. 10 - 11
2009 Environmental
Forum

Bellevue, WA

Sept. 10 - 11
2009 Electric Safety
and Gas Safety &
Occupational Health
Meeting

Bellevue, WA

Sept. 14 - 18
55th Annual Northwest
Electric Meter School

Seattle, WA

Sept. 20 - 22
2009 Annual Meeting
Victoria, BC

Sept. 21 - 23
2009 Business Acumen for Emerging Leaders
- Session 5

Victoria, BC

Sept. 27 - 30
2009 Joint Use
Conference

Boise, ID

Oct. 5 - 6
2009 Underground / Overhead Electric Distribution Fall Meeting
Portland, OR

Oct. 14 - 16
2009 Materials Management Meeting
Henderson, NV

Oct. 21 - 23
2009 Operations
Business Strategies
Fall Meeting
(Invitation Only)

Stevenson, WA

Oct. 27 - 28
2009 Utility Pole
Structures Conference
and Trade Show
(In partnership with
NWPPA)

Bellevue, WA

Oct. 28 - 30
2009 Western Region
Mutual Assistance
Agreement (WRMAA)
Annual Meeting

Las Vegas, NV

Nov. 4
Gas 101 - Conducted by Enerdynamics
Portland, OR

Nov. 4 - 6
2009 Energy Management Fall Meeting (Invitation Only)
Tempe, AZ

Nov. 5
Electric 101 - Conducted by Enerdynamics
Portland, OR

2010 Programs

Mar. 7 - 9
2010 Spring Energy Symposium
Tempe, AZ

Mar. 30 - Apr. 2
2010 Operations Conference
Henderson, NV

June 7 - 11
2010 Power Quality School
Willsonville, OR

Sept. 19 - 21
2010 Annual Meeting
Las Vegas, NV

     
 

WEI Member News

Avista Requesting to Lower Natural Gas Prices for Washington and Idaho Customers for Second Time This Year

Avista filed requests in May with the utility commissions in Washington and Idaho to reduce natural gas prices by 8.1 percent and 6.7 percent respectively, effective June 1. If approved, this would be the second time in 2009 that Avista customers in both states will see a decrease in their natural gas rates. More

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BC Hydro Launches Second Phase of Bioenergy Call for Power

BC Hydro has launched the second phase of its two-phase Bioenergy Call for Power, to provide the province with additional sources of clean electricity while helping to diversify rural economies. More

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Clark Public Utilities Completes Sale of Bonds
Clark Public Utilities has completed the sale of municipal bonds to partially fund improvements in the utility's Electric and Generating systems.
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LADWP Unveils Memorial to Honor Fallen Employees
A new civic monument was dedicated honoring more than 200 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employees who lost their lives while providing vital electric and water service to the city.
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More Than 1,200 Customers Receive $200 Job Loss Credit

Since launching a $1 million assistance fund in March to help Eugene Water & Electric Board customers left jobless due to the economic downturn, the utility has provided a total of $244,200 to 1,221 unemployed residential customers. More

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New Children’s Alternative Energy Play to Premiere at Children’s Festival

The environment will take center stage in “Power Up! The Alternative Energy Show,” sponsored by ENMAX Energy Corporation, at this year’s Northern Alberta Children’s Festival. More

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Newman Power Plant Unit 5 Begins Commercial Operation

El Paso Electric has completed Phase 1 of the Newman Power Plant Unit 5 construction project. The two gas turbines began commercial operation on Friday, May 22. More

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NW Natural Receives Approval for Early Credit Request

In April, NW Natural voluntarily requested an early refund of $32 million in gas cost savings for Oregon customers, in light of the current economic conditions.  The Public Utility Commission of Oregon approved that request on May 19. More

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PGE Ranks among Highest in Nation in Solar Power Generation
Portland General Electric was recognized by the Solar Electric Power Association as a utility leader in the integration of solar into its generation portfolio.
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PSE Salmon-Protection Efforts Receive National Recognition for 2nd Time This Year

Puget Sound Energy has received the hydropower industry’s highest environmental award for an innovative system the utility built to aide juvenile-salmon migration around tall hydroelectric dams. More

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Rocky Mountain Power Launches Refrigerator Recycling Program

Tom Forslund’s fridge is 30 years old, takes up space in his garage and wastes tons of extra energy. Due to its inefficiency, Forslund decided to have Rocky Mountain Power remove the old energy hog at no cost to him. The utility is making it easy for energy customers such as Forslund to recycle their old, secondary refrigerators and freezers. They will not only save on energy costs, but will receive a $30 incentive for participating in the free refrigerator recycling program.

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Seattle City Light Wins for Communication Excellence
Seattle City
Light won four Hermes Creative Awards from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals for its work on the municipal utility’s 2007 Annual Report, Green Up renewable energy program and Skagit Tours as well as its participation in the Skagit River Cleanup.
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SMUD Honored for Using Environmentally Friendly Transformer Oil

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District was recently recognized as the first utility in the country to commit to purchasing all new transformers with natural ester transformer oil. More

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Solar Panels Generating Power for Pyramid Lake Tribal Health Clinic

A new solar energy system is providing about half of the electricity needed to power the Pyramid Lake Tribal Health Clinic in Nixon. The 30-kilowatt photovoltaic array was made possible by a combination of donated labor and materials, and a program created by the Nevada State Legislature to encourage Nevadans to use renewable energy, which is managed statewide by NV Energy. More

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Southern California Edison Will Not Seek License to Construct Transmission Line in Arizona at This Time

Southern California Edison has announced it will not pursue a re-filing of its application with the Arizona Corporation Commission to build the Arizona portion of the Devers-PaloVerde No. 2 electric transmission line at this time. More

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Spectra Energy Shareholders Vote to Declassify Board of Directors

At the company’s annual meeting, Spectra Energy Corp.’s shareholders approved an amendment to the company’s Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the classified board of directors structure.

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SRP Donates $25,000 to Area Food Banks

In light of area food banks reporting record levels of people seeking assistance, SRP has donated $25,000 to social service agencies across the Valley that provide food assistance to SRP customers and Valley residents. More

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Survey Finds Idaho Power Rates among Nation’s Lowest

Idaho Power’s customer rates are among the lowest in the country, according to a semi-annual survey by the Edison Electric Institute of investor-owned utilities across the nation. More

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Terasen Gas Applies to Sell LNG as Cleaner, Greener Transportation Fuel Solution

Terasen Gas has applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission for approval to sell liquefied natural gas as a transportation fuel source for fleet vehicles. More

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TransCanada to Sell North Baja Pipeline to TC PipeLines, LP

TransCanada Corporation has entered into an agreement to sell North Baja Pipeline, LLC to TC PipeLines, LP. More

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Rest of the West

 

PG&E and BrightSource Sign Record Solar Power Deal

Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced it has entered into a series of contracts with BrightSource Energy, Inc. for a record total of 1,310 megawatts of solar thermal power. More

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SDG&E Teams with Google to Provide Energy Usage Data to Customers

San Diego Gas & Electric has announced a landmark effort with Google that, by the end of this year, will enable SDG&E customers for the first time to obtain their daily energy usage information via the popular Web site with Google’s new Google PowerMeter gadget. More

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Sempra Energy's Utilities Earn Top Ranking in Customer Satisfaction

Sempra Energy’s California utilities, Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric, rank No. 1 in customer satisfaction among the largest U.S. investor-owned energy utilities, according to a recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. More

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TEP to Help Local Governments Secure Federal Stimulus Funds for Efficiency & Conservation

 Tucson Electric Power hosted a workshop to help Arizona cities and counties prepare successful applications for newly available federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants. More

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Tri-State and Xcel Energy Move Forward with Significant Southern Colorado Transmission Project Proposal

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Xcel Energy have filed applications with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to develop a new transmission project that will serve long-term electric grid requirements in southern Colorado. More

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On the Move

 

Doug Foshee Elected Chairman of El Paso Corporation More

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Atmos Energy Corporation Elects Robert C. Grable to Board of Directors More

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Avista Corp. Board Appoints Marc Racicot as a New Director More

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Catherine Allen Joins El Paso Electric Board; Gary Hedrick Resigns More

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Southwestern Energy Company Promotes Steven L. Mueller to Chief Executive Officer More

 

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Avista Names Jason Thackston VP Finance, Diane Thoren Treasurer More

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Jeffery Peltola Appointed CFO, Cecilia Weldon Named Chief Administrative Officer at LADWP More

 

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Atmos Energy Corporation Promotes Christopher T. Forsythe to Vice President and Controller More

 

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Gregg Carrington Takes on Additional Responsibilities at Chelan PUD More

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NorthWestern Energy Names Rick Hoffman as Huron Area Manager More

 

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News

Power Surpluses May Create Problems for Renewable Investments

Declines in electricity consumption and the completion of previously-planned conventional power plants are creating power surpluses that may undermine the capacity of utilities to invest in new renewable facilities. More

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Demand Response Providers Expect Boon from Increased Renewables Use

The need for demand response, the management of consumers' electric consumption in response to critical supply constraints, is expected to become increasingly important as the nation’s electricity grid is supplied by increasing amounts of intermittent renewable power. More

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Energy Industry Wary of Increased Derivatives Regulation

In the wake of the housing crisis, the Treasury Department and other regulators want financial derivatives to be traded through a central counterparty—but the energy industry is claiming such measures will make it harder to manage price risk. More

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Military Tests Green Projects

The Army’s Fort Irwin training center, where troops prepare for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, has become a testing ground for green projects from plug-in cars to insulated tents. More

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Stimulus Package Will Provide Cash to Renewables-Owning Utilities

In lieu of tax credits taken over ten years, the Obama stimulus package allows developers of renewable energy projects to apply for Treasury grants equivalent to 30 percent of a project’s cost in cash. More

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Solar Industry Endures, Adapts to Reduced Demand

In the wake of the global credit crunch, dramatic cutbacks in European subsidies for solar power have resulted in substantially reduced demand for solar cells—causing prices to drop and new manufacturing operations to be delayed. More

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Obama Reduces Budget for Tidal, Wave Energy Research

The White House has proposed cuts in wave and tidal energy research at the same time that it is seeking substantial increases in funding for research into solar and wind power. More

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Wind-Power Detractors’ Claims Refuted

The Toronto Star recently examined some of the claims made by wind power opponents and offered counter-arguments from various industry experts. More

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MIT Says New Nuclear Won’t Happen Without Policy Help

A 2003 study from MIT said that with the government’s help, nuclear power could experience a revival that would place it at the forefront in U.S. electricity generation. An update to that study concludes that while the technology may be better situated than ever thanks to climate-change concerns, it will take changes in government policy for new nuclear projects to become more viable. More

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Waxman-Markey Bill Will Raise Gasoline Prices, Say Refiners

Oil refiners, who will likely have to purchase large numbers of emissions allowances, are complaining that they will be responsible for 44 percent of U.S. carbon emissions but will only receive 2 percent of allowances. More

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Industry Seeks to Broaden Definition of “Renewable”

With the advent of renewable energy quotas as well as the authorization of federal tax breaks for renewable projects, more and more industries are vying to be called “renewable”—even those that might not fit the conventional understanding of that definition, such as the nuclear industry. More

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LED Lights Could Offer Easy Route to Efficiency

Studies indicate that converting to LED lights could cut emissions associated with lighting in half over a period of just 20 years. In the U.S., that would represent an overall reduction in energy use of about 3 percent. More

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Yucca Mountain Still on Life Support

Harry Reid, D-Nev. and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced a blue ribbon commission to evaluate nuclear waste storage alternatives—and will not move to end Yucca Mountain until its findings are delivered, at the earliest. More

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Inexpensive Process Derives Natural Gas from Algae

A new method called catalytic hydrothermal gasification converts algae into natural gas and has been transferred from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle, to the Genifuel Corporation. More

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Cold Fusion Increasingly Substantiated by Experiments

Cold fusion, the room-temperature nuclear fusion reaction that twenty years ago found itself to be considered a scientific joke, is once again getting serious attention from researchers. More

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Western Natural Gas Market Review More

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Western LNG Update

LNG Expected to Depress Natural Gas Prices More

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Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, LP and Jordan Cove Energy Project, LP Receive FEIS from the FERC More

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Western Energy News
 

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Western Energy Institute - http://www.westernenergy.org/
827 NE Oregon Street, Portland, Oregon 97232-2172
Phone: (503) 231-1994   Fax: (503) 231-2595  
June 2009 News Team
Publisher: Chuck Meyer
Editor: John Rozsa
 
Copyright © 2009. Reuse of this publication or its contents is allowed with credit to Western Energy Institute.