SC Utility News Digest Daily Update

Musical Chairs at the FCC - Tech Daily Dose

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

By Juliana Gruenwald, May 30, 2012
The Federal Communications Commission announced Wednesday that Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Rick Kaplan would be leaving the agency in mid-June. But he'll be replaced by a familiar face -- Ruth Milkman, currently special counsel for innovation in government.

SCE&G plans to shutter Lake Murray coal plant, others - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Tim Flach, May 30, 2012
Under the plan, the coal-fired plant downstream of the dam will switch to power generation with natural gas in 2015 before shutting down three years later.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/30/2295081/sceg-plans-to-shutter-lake-murray.html#storylink=cpy

Is sewage the next energy source?

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:14:00 +0000

The researchers from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology claimed that they have significantly improved the capacity of microbial fuel cells by modulizing them.

The device converts the chemical energy from organisms into electricity using bacterial metabolism as the catalyst. It is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for producing renewable energy as well as treating polluted waste water.

Brooklyn Apartments to Generate Their Own Power - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:33:00 +0000

Ronda Kaysen, May 24, 2012
When the developer, Voltaic Solaire, finishes a $1 million rehabilitation of a 19th-century brownstone at 367 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope next year, the facade will be covered with a solar skin and a solar awning will sit on the roof. The panels will generate 18,000 watts of energy a year, enough to power all six units in the 7,000-square-foot building. Voltaic Solaire is so confident in its ability to create a “net-zero” building that utilities will be bundled into the rent.

Green Roofs in Big Cities Bring Relief From Above - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:51:00 +0000

Tina Rosenberg
It’s spring — time to plant your roof. Roofs, like coffee, used to be black tar. Now both have gone gourmet: for roofs, the choices are white, green, blue and solar-panel black.

NRC chairman inspects Midlands nuclear plant - Local / Metro - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:07:00 +0000

Sammy Fretwell, May 23, 2012

“A construction site like this will always have a lot of challenges,” Jaczko told reporters, noting that it “is still pretty early in the process as we look at it. At this point, there were no major issues that we’ve identified.”

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/23/2286629/nrc-chairman-inspects-midlands.html#storylink=cpy

Head of nuclear safety agency to step down - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:21:00 +0000

Matthew Daly
05/22/12
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, under fire for what fellow commissioners called an intimidating, even bullying style, announced his resignation Monday.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/22/2285295/head-of-nuclear-safety-agency.html#storylink=cpy

ATC Names Catherine Heigel General Counsel - MarketWatch

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:59:00 +0000

PEWAUKEE, Wis., May 15, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Catherine E. Heigel has been named vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of American Transmission Co., effective June 25, 2012. She will have responsibility for legal and state regulatory staffs at ATC.

Trading the pump for a plug is catching on - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:46:00 +0000

Kristy Eppley Rupon
May 13, 2012
Plug-in Carolina received a $480,000 federal grant from the Department of Energy to install 65 charging stations. It was able to stretch that money to open 93 charging stations in nine cities throughout the state, Poch said. That includes two charging stations in each of Columbia’s city-owned parking garages.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/13/2272918/trading-the-pump-for-a-plug-is.html#storylink=cpy

Earthquake threat prompts questions at nuclear plant - Local / Metro - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:42:00 +0000

Sammy Fretwell
May 13, 2012
While the Westinghouse Electric Co. plant meets current safety standards, federal inspectors say the company didn’t follow through on recommendations made nine years ago to further reduce chances that radiation would leak during a big quake.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/13/2273934/earthquake-threat-prompts-questions.html#storylink=cpy

Solar Installers Offer Homeowners Deals, Gaining Converts - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Diane Cardwell
May 9, 2012

The structure of the deals varies by company and state, but the overall approach is generally the same: Customers agree to pay a fixed monthly charge or rate for all the solar power produced, and the companies that finance the systems pay for the installation and take the value of any tax breaks or renewable energy credits for which the customer would ordinarily be eligible. Some companies concentrate on financing and use local contractors for sales and installation, while others do everything themselves.

SCANA Falls From Fortune 500

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Staff Report, May 9, 2012
"Energy provider SCANA Corp., headquartered in Cayce, has fallen from the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. companies based on last year’s revenue.

It was the first time that SCANA, which last year was ranked No. 483, had failed to make the list since 2001."

'via Blog this'

Duke Energy earnings fall on construction costs - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:45:00 +0000

Jonathan Fahey, Associated Press
NEW YORK — Duke Energy Corp. says its net income fell 42 percent in the first quarter because of cost overruns at a coal plant under construction in Indiana.
The company said its underlying earnings grew slightly, though, despite a warm winter that reduced electric power demand and earnings at electric utilities nationwide. Duke’s earnings were boosted by higher electric rates in the Carolinas, reduced costs, and higher power sales and rates in Brazil.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/05/2263542/duke-energy-earnings-fall-on-construction.html#storylink=cpy

Progress and Duke dismiss critics as merger ruling looms - chicagotribune.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:33:00 +0000

John Murawsky
The News & Observer
The two electric companies urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject objections to the proposed merger and quickly approve the deal in a regulatory filing this week.
Raleigh-based Progress and Charlotte-based Duke are anticipating a decision from the federal commission as early as next month. The commission has twice before rebuffed the merger, but each time gave the power companies an opportunity to revise their application.

SCE&G likely to seek another rate hike - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Kristy Eppley Rupon

S.C. Electric & Gas customers can expect to pay more for their power in the coming months as planned rate increases go into effect. The company also likely will ask for another rate increase that would go into effect next year, officials said during a SCANA earnings call with investment analysts Thursday.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/04/2261963/sceg-likely-to-seek-another-rate.html#storylink=cpy

SCE&G releasing water into rivers - Local / Metro - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:04:00 +0000

SCE&G is releasing a high volume of water from the Lake Murray dam, enough to make playing on the water downstream, especially on the rocks and islands, dangerous. The water level was near 10,000 cubic feet per second at 3:30 p.m., a volume which can push water over many of the islands and even into a few low-lying sections of the Cayce-West Columbia Riverwalks.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/04/26/2251957/sceg-releasing-water-into-rivers.html#storylink=cpy

Santee Cooper Signs Letter of Intent with American Municipal for V.C. Summer Reactors - Nuclear Power Industry News - Nuclear Power Industry News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Portal

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:59:00 +0000

After beginning negotiations to sell a 2-7 percent stake to South Mississippi Electric Power last week, Santee Cooper has signed a letter of intent with Ohio-based American Municipal Power (AMP) to possibly sell another 2-5 percent of its stake in the V.C. Summer expansion.

New Bern, Rocky Mount criticize Progress, Duke merger proposal - Local/State - NewsObserver.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:28:00 +0000

John Murawski, 04/26/12

In filings Wednesday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the towns characterized the companies’ March proposal as “legal legerdemain” that would do little to address concerns raised by creating the nation’s largest electric utility. The legal fight waged by the two eastern North Carolina towns was largely dismissed as quixotic until the federal commission stunned Duke and Progress executives last year by soundly rejecting the merger.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/26/2025097/new-bern-rocky-mount-accuse-progress.html#storylink=cpy

SC positioning itself at vanguard of mini-nuclear age - Business - TheState.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Jeff Wilkinson

The U.S. Department of Energy has given the green light for three companies to partner with the Savannah River Site in Aiken to potentially locate mini-nuclear reactors there. They are competing with other plant design companies across the nation – and each other – for federal matching grants totaling up to $452 million to support engineering, certification and licensing for up to two mini-reactor designs.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/04/25/2248404/sc-positioning-itself-at-vanguard.html#storylink=cpy

Lake City veterans take trip to World War II Memorial | SCNOW

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:04:00 +0000

"Nineteen electric cooperatives joined Honor Flight of South Carolina to fly 100 veterans, including Lake City’s Paul D. Poston and Zola Brooke Godwin, to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial built in their honor and other historic sites.

"

'via Blog this'

Greenville County authorities seize 678 marijuana plants estimated at $350K | GoUpstate.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Duke Energy called the sheriff's office at 11 a.m. Tuesday in reference to unauthorized electrical lines running from a power transformer to a building at 208 Old Piedmont Highway, according to a news release from Deputy Laura Campbell.

FERC may be working toward June ruling on Duke Energy-Progress Energy deal - Charlotte Business Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:05:00 +0000

John Downey
"The companies filed their latest proposal on March 26 — after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected two earlier plans. Last week, FERC responded with a few dozen highly specific, and generally technical, questions about the proposal. Some observers saw that as a sign that the federal proceedings could be slowed further as Duke and Progress press to beat a July 8 expiration date on their merger agreement."

'via Blog this'

Santee Cooper, Mississippi power agency sign letter of intent

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:07:00 +0000

Santee Cooper and South Mississippi Electric Power Association signed a letter of intent, which begins negotiations for South Mississippi Electric to secure 2-7% of the capacity and energy output from two new nuclear units being built at V.C. Summer.

How Green Are Electric Cars? Depends on Where You Plug In - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Paul Stenquist, April 13, 2012
The U.C.S. report, which takes into account the full cycle of energy production, often called a well-to-wheels analysis, demonstrates that in areas where the electric utility relies on natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric or renewable sources to power its generators, the potential for electric cars and plug-in hybrids to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is great. But where generators are powered by burning a high percentage of coal, electric cars may not be even as good as the latest gasoline models — and far short of the thriftiest hybrids.

Duke, Progress respond to regulators’ latest request - Economy - NewsObserver.com

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:53:00 +0000

David Bracken
Progress and Duke said FERC’s requests were common and “were technical and focused on the transmission-related models that Duke and Progress submitted as an exhibit to the March 26 revised mitigation plan. Many of our responses involved re-formatting data previously submitted to FERC as part of that filing.”

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/14/1999673/duke-progress-respond-to-regulators.html#storylink=cpy