UtiliTech, Inc. - Utility Bill & Procurement Experts

Chesapeake Plans to Reduce its Operated Dry Gas Drilling Rig Count to 24 Rigs

2012-01-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

Chesapeake Energy operates wells in the Marcellus Shale region. See how they are reacting to the natural gas prices.

OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2012-- Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) today provided an update on additional steps it is taking to continue creating shareholder value in response to the lowest natural gas prices in the past 10 years.

Read the full article

Why is there so much interest in the Marcellus Shale?

2011-12-19T09:52:00.001-05:00

This map shows the geographic extent of major natural gas basins that are located in nonconventional shale sources. Some of the most promising gas shales that have already begun active production have been the Barnett Shale and the Haynesville Shale. The Utica Shale, also in NY, is a smaller reserve than the Marcellus Shale, and extends into Canada.

Importantly, you can see how much larger the extent of the Marcellus Shale is in comparison to many of the other untraditional shales in the US. Only a portion of the entire extent of any gas shale is ideal for drilling. Therefore, there is the potential for a significant amount of gas to be extracted from the large Marcellus Shale basin.

See full article at http://www.museumoftheearth.org/outreach.php?page=92387/352042

Marcellus gas drilling jobs increase in PA

2011-10-26T08:45:00.002-04:00

Jobs in Marcellus Shale more than doubled from the beginning of 2008 to the beginning of 2011, from 9,520 to 20,387.

Read entire article at Bloomberg Businessweek

Wages in the core industry sector averaged $76,036 in the first quarter, 65 percent higher than the state's average wage of $46,222, the report says.
Read more: The Times Tribune

Windstream to acquire Paetec

2011-08-02T08:24:00.001-04:00

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - August 1, 2011 (Print-friendly PDF file)

Combination creates a formidable national telecommunications provider with more than $6 billion in total revenue
Accelerates revenue and free cash flow growth profile with approximately 70 percent of revenues from business and broadband services
Creates nationwide network with approximately 100,000 fiber route miles
Enhances capabilities in key strategic growth areas including metro fiber, Ethernet, data centers and managed services
Expected to provide approximately $100 million in annual pre-tax operating cost synergies and tax benefits with a net present value of approximately $250 million
Expected to be accretive on a free cash flow per share basis, excluding merger and integration costs, in the first year following closing
Slightly de-leveraging after synergies

Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PAETEC Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: PAET), based in Fairport, N.Y., in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion.

"This transaction significantly advances our strategy to drive top-line revenue growth by expanding our focus on business and broadband services," said Jeff Gardner, president and CEO of Windstream. "The combined company will have a nationwide network with a deep fiber footprint to offer enhanced capabilities in strategic growth areas, including IP-based services, data centers, cloud computing and managed services. Financially, we improve our growth profile and lower the payout ratio on our strong dividend, offering investors a unique combination of growth and yield."

"Both PAETEC and Windstream are built on a customer and employee-focused culture. Together, with far denser network assets, an expansive fiber infrastructure, and larger data center footprint, I believe our brightest days are ahead," said Arunas A. Chesonis, chairman and CEO, of PAETEC. "Our combination now creates a new Fortune 500 company with the financial strength and scale to compete and win against any other provider in the industry. I'm confident that this transaction will deliver substantial long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders."

PAETEC shareholders will receive 0.460 shares of Windstream common stock for each PAETEC share owned under the terms of the agreement which was approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Windstream expects to issue approximately 73 million shares of stock valued at approximately $891 million, based on the company's closing stock price on July 29, 2011.

Windstream also will assume or refinance PAETEC's net debt of approximately $1.4 billion at the time of closing. PAETEC stockholders are expected to own approximately 13 percent of the combined company upon closing of the transaction.
Origin, Paetec website at:
http://www.paetec.com/about-us/media-center/press-releases/Windstream-to-acquire-PAETEC.html

Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation Has Grown

2011-07-07T09:36:00.001-04:00

At the end of 2010, natural gas-fired generators constituted 39% of the Nation's total electric generation capacity of 1,042 gigawatts (GW). Nearly 237 GW of natural gas-fired generation capacity was added between 2000 and 2010, representing 81% of total generation capacity additions over that period.

See the entire article in this US Energy Information Administration report.

UtiliTech Recognized by New Jersey's PUC

2011-06-22T08:40:00.001-04:00

As of May, 2011, the State of New Jersey Board of Public Utilities now recognizes UtiliTech, Inc. as an Energy Agent.

Pennsylvania's solar-energy industry suffering from success

2011-05-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

May 24 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Andrew Maykuth The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Pennsylvania solar-energy industry is collapsing under the weight of its own good fortune.

Spurred by hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state incentives, solar developers have built so many projects in recent years that they have created an oversupply of solar-energy credits, the market instruments that provide the developers with a critical income stream.

The price of solar credits in the state has plummeted as much as 75 percent in the last year, dramatically shrinking the income-producing potential of new and existing solar projects.

"We're in some ways a victim of our own success," said Maureen Mulligan, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Solar Energy Industries Association, which is predicting a crash.

"Anybody who's talking about putting up a new project now is thinking, 'Wow, there's no support anymore,' " said State Rep. Chris Ross (R., Chester County).

On Tuesday, Ross plans to introduce a legislative rescue for the industry that would increase the amount of solar energy that utilities must buy through 2015, propping up the price of solar credits.

The bill also would close Pennsylvania's solar markets to out-of-state producers. Developers here say cross-border imports of solar power are driving down prices in Pennsylvania.

"Everybody who knew anything about the market knew this was going to happen," said John F. Curtis III, chief executive of Green Energy Capital Partners L.L.C., a Whitemarsh developer. "Now, there's a big panic to do something about it."

The legislative rescue is likely to encounter resistance from traditional utilities and competing fossil-fuel power suppliers, which argue that renewable-energy mandates drive up consumer costs.

"The reality is, this is kind of what happens when you flood the market with solar," said Eugene Barr, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

Although they can legally recover the cost of renewable power by passing it on to customers, the utilities say they are worried that higher costs will tap out consumers and deprive the utilities of funding for improvements to the distribution system.

"Didn't the developers of these solar projects make a business decision and take a risk when they decided to build these projects?" asked Terrence J. Fitzpatrick, head of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania. "At what point do you just let market forces deal with it?"

The solar lobby, which failed for two years to persuade the legislature to increase the mandate for photovoltaic solar systems, characterized the Ross bill as a scaled-back effort to save a nascent green industry.

"People will lose jobs, and the market will stall," said Mulligan. Some solar-installation businesses will not survive, she added.

Solar power is dependent on subsidies to compete in electrical markets, where prices have been depressed since 2008 by a combination of the economic slowdown and low natural gas prices.

In an effort to stimulate the market, Pennsylvania and several other states enacted renewable-portfolio standards mandating that utilities buy a portion of their electricity from alternative sources.

Under a 2004 law, Pennsylvania utilities are required to gradually increase the amount of alternative energy in their portfolios to 18 percent by 2020. The solar-power portion is relatively small, 0.5 percent by 2020.

The renewable-energy mandate adds about 1.2 percent to the generation charge of a typical Peco Energy Co. residential customer. That cost is expected to increase as utilities boost purchases of renewable power to meet rising targets.

Although most states, New Jersey among them, allow only local solar producers to participate in the markets, Pennsylvania permitted any producers in the region to sell into the state's markets.

Currently, Pennsylvania has 71 megawatts of solar power installed and 100 megawatts more in approved projects. In addition, 24 megawatts of out-of-state solar generation is certified to serve in-state markets.

All told, that is far more solar power than the 42 megawatts needed in 2011-12 to satisfy the state mandate.

"You have enough solar already in the state to meet demand for three years," said Gary Lakritz, president of Knollwood Energy L.L.C., a New Jersey renewable-energy marketing company.

Solar-power producers earn the current market rate for any power they sell into the grid, but they make a far bigger income by selling Solar Renewable Energy Credits to utilities. A producer is allowed to sell one SREC for every 1,000 kilowatt hours of solar power produced.

A year ago, one Pennsylvania SREC sold for more than $300, half the price of SRECs in New Jersey's protected market. Pennsylvania solar credits now sell for less than $100, dramatically extending the payback time for a solar project.

Curtis said his firm may cancel four planned utility-scale solar farms.

"We're seriously considering moving operations to California because they have a more generous program," he said.

DOE - Success in Water Treatment at Marcellus Shale Production Site

2011-04-21T16:42:00.001-04:00

The Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced favorable results from a demonstration project turning wastewater from drilling sites into clean water. With water resources a key concern in natural gas production growth in shale formations such as the Haynesville and Marcellus shales, FE, which is managing the project through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), said its research could have an important application in reducing potential environmental impacts associated with future natural gas production. In cooperation with Altela Inc., FE tested a water desalination system at BLX, Inc.’s Sleppy well site in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. During nine months of operation, the unit treated 77 percent of the water stream onsite, providing distilled water as the product. The clean water produced at the demonstration site was suitable for use by well operators for additional stimulations and was also suitable to be discharged to surface waterways. As a result of the DOE demonstration project, numerous units of the water desalination system have been sold and installed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to treat approximately 100,000 gallons per day of produced and flowback water from hydraulic fracturing. The Altela demonstration was one of nine research projects on management of wastewater. Through the nine projects, NETL is developing environmental tools and technologies to improve management of water resources. Several additional demonstrations focusing on other water treatment technologies will be conducted during the remainder of fiscal year 2011.
Original article from www.eia.doe.gov

The Facts about PA's Oil and Gas Production

2011-04-15T10:40:00.001-04:00

Click HERE, for the facts on Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Production in Pennsylvania. This document covers production, regulation, permitting, monitoring and compliance along with environmental issues.

For links to all information regarding Marcellus Shale in Pa, visit http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/marcellus_shale/17359

Natural Gas Prices - April 2011 Update

2011-04-04T14:13:00.001-04:00

The recent upswing of the price of natural gas due to situations overseas has begun to settle. There will be a need for LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) and coal for generation of electricity in Japan in the near future, but with the abundance available, this should not affect market pricing very much. Forecast for warmer temperatures as the transition from heating to cooling begins will force prices lower as expected this time of year.

Oil prices are not having as much of an affect on domestic natural gas prices as some have predicted. A migration towards the use of natural gas for heating where available may be inevitable, but this is not an overnight change, and we will only see a small increase in demand going into the fourth quarter of this year.

It looks like natural gas prices will remain stable for the near future and rise slowly with demand. If there is a major announcement that would change demand for the future, prices may fluctuate, but not increase until that demand is realized.

If you use a considerable amount of natural gas in your business, locking the basis and hedging winter month with an alternate supplier is a good option. If you're looking for a less risky solution, fixing 100% of your commodity while prices are at their lowest will protect you from higher winter rates.

Call UtiliTech about purchase options for your natural gas.
610-898-7124.
Jim Graffius

Underlying Shifts in the Natural Gas Market

2011-03-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

"I think we are at/near the end of the almost three-year bear market in natural gas prices."
Quoted from an article on Seeking Alpha by Papa Roach
This is a must read if your interested in the what and why of natural gas pricing.
Follow this link: http://seekingalpha.com/article/256138-underlying-shifts-in-the-natural-gas-market

Many Peco customers switching suppliers

2011-01-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

January 14, 2011

By Andrew Maykuth, Inquirer Staff Writer

In the two weeks since Peco Energy Co.'s territory has been open to competition, almost 10 percent of its customers have switched to alternative electricity suppliers.
Nearly 148,000 of Peco's 1.6 million customers, including 96,000 residential clients, have switched to discount suppliers.
Most of Peco's biggest commercial customers have signed up with alternative generators that can supply electricity at less cost. All told, 40 percent of the utility's load - the kilowatt-hours transmitted over its lines - is now sold by other suppliers.
[Read the rest of this article at Philly.com]

UtiliTech Announces Amerinet Partnership

2010-12-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

UtiliTech to Provide Utility & Telecom Audit Services to 44,000 Amerinet MembersReading, December 3, 2010: UtiliTech, Inc. (UtiliTech) announced today a formal partnership with Amerinet, Inc., a leading national healthcare group purchasing organization (GPO). Under the agreement, UtiliTech will offer its utility and telecommunications audit services to more than 44,000 member facilities of Amerinet.
UtiliTech is a national energy and telecom cost management and procurement consulting company. Clients rely on UtiliTech’s audit services, tariff optimization, procurement services and market research to reduce their overall cost of energy, recover overcharges due to billing errors and improve management’s control of utility costs. UtiliTech’s clients include for-profit and non-profit organizations in industries such as manufacturing, government, healthcare, education, retail and others.“We at UtiliTech are extremely excited about our new partnership with Amerinet,” said Emmett Lien, President of UtiliTech. “We have 20 years of experience helping healthcare facilities save money on energy and telecomm services, and we are looking forward to assisting Amerinet member facilities lower operational costs through our services.”
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Amerinet continues to demonstrate that its scope of solutions positively impacts all types of healthcare institutions and reaches every area of facility operations. More than simply saving money, Amerinet members rely on Amerinet’s full suite of performance solutions from a competitive portfolio, to supply chain management, data analytics and revenue enhancement, quality and safety, technology and education. “We are excited to add such a unique and effective service to our list of offerings,” said Mike Reid, Vice President, Energy Solutions of Amerinet. “Healthcare facilities are continually searching for ways to decrease costs within their facilities and UtiliTech has proven that it can do just that.”

PPL Electric Utilities Generation Price to Drop for Early 2011

2010-10-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

PPL Electric Utilities announced on Friday (10/22) that the generation price it passes on to customers who don't choose an electricity supplier will drop in early 2011.

The announcement followed the company's sixth round of wholesale power purchases, which it makes to comply with state law. While PPL Electric Utilities is strictly an electric delivery company, it must buy power for customers who don't choose a supplier. It passes on the costs to customers without profit. Power is purchased on the wholesale market at different times to lessen the impact of price changes on consumers.

"We continue to secure lower generation prices from supplier bids for 2011 and beyond than we did buying for 2010," said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "That bodes well for customers next year since generation accounts for about three- quarters of the typical electric bill."

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission this week approved the results of the latest power purchases. Based on all of the company's purchases for early 2011, PPL Electric Utilities believes its generation charge may drop about 10 percent for the first five months of 2011.

Estimated price to compare for early 2011

The company estimates its "price to compare" for Jan. 1 through May 31 may be about 9.43 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with the current 10.45 cents for 2010.

The exact price to compare will not be known until late December when new rates for generation and transmission services are finalized and reviewed by regulators.

The price to compare will change again June 1, 2011, and be adjusted every three months after that to reflect new quarterly purchases for wholesale power.

The price to compare is the total price customers pay for generation and transmission if they don't choose another supplier. It does not include distribution charges, which continue from PPL Electric Utilities even if a customer switches. Distribution charges cover PPL Electric Utilities' costs to deliver power and provide customer services.

Better deals may be available to customers who shop

DeCampli said customers who shop for electricity supply may find better prices from competitive suppliers for 2011, even with the expected drop in PPL Electric Utilities' price to compare.

In all, more than 485,000 PPL Electric Utilities customers have chosen other suppliers. Many saved as much as 10 percent or more on electricity supply in 2010. While PPL Electric Utilities can't predict how supplier prices might change moving forward, DeCampli said, customers who want to get the best deal should continue to look for opportunities to save.

"Shopping for electricity supply can actually be pretty easy," DeCampli said. "There are many different suppliers competing with each other to serve our customers. We encourage customers to explore all of their options."

DeCampli said customers can compare supplier offers to PPL Electric Utilities' "price to compare" by visiting the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's website at http://www.papowerswitch.com/ [1].

Results of the latest procurement

With the company's latest round of purchases, it now has completed purchases for about 90 percent of its power supply needs for the first five months of 2011, with the remaining 10 percent to be bought in the spot market.

The company awarded a mix of 23-month and 26-month "full- requirements" contracts for electricity needed beginning Jan. 1, 2011. The average power price in these purchases, including state taxes and other charges, was $72.88 per megawatt-hour for residential customers and $72.23 per megawatt-hour for small businesses.

Also in this round, the company awarded five-year contracts for two 25-megawatt blocks of "around-the-clock" electricity supply at an average price of $50.54 per megawatt-hour for residential customers beginning Jan. 1. The price for these blocks is for energy only and does not include capacity and other charges, which the company will purchase separately.

The company also secured alternative energy credits needed for these blocks of supply in the following amounts:

1,880 "Tier 1" solar energy credits at a cost of $243.51 per credit.

84,613 "Tier 1" non-solar energy credits at a cost of $3.81 per credit.

129,645 "Tier 2" alternative energy credits at a cost of $0.14 per credit.

In addition, the company awarded 5-month contracts at an average price of $4.43 per megawatt-hour for administrative services required to provide hourly market pricing. Hourly market pricing is the default supply service for large commercial and industrial customers. The company had also sought to award five-month, full- requirements contracts for an Optional Monthly Pricing Service for large commercial and industrial customers. However, the company did not receive sufficient bids. As a result it will not be offering the Optional Monthly Pricing Service Jan. 1 through May 31.

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), provides electric delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania and has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at http://www.pplelectric.com/ [2].

Allegheny Power Completes Auctions for 2011 Electricity Supply in Pennsylvania

2010-10-25T08:57:00.000-04:00

GREENSBURG, Pa., Oct 22, 2010 -- BUSINESS WIRE

Allegheny Power, the electricity delivery unit of Allegheny Energy, Inc. (NYSE: AYE), announced today that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the results of the utility's sixth auction to purchase power for its Pennsylvania customers for 2011 and beyond.

Allegheny Power has now completed the auction purchases needed to serve its customers next year after generation rate caps expire on December 31, 2010. The auction purchases account for 80 percent of supply needed for residential customers next year and approximately 90 percent of small and mid-sized non-residential customers' needs. Additional spot market purchases will be made throughout 2011 to complement the fixed-priced auction purchases.

Assuming the spot market purchases are consistent with current market pricing, a typical Pennsylvania residential customer's monthly bill next year would increase only $3.16, or 3.4 percent over 2010 levels, assuming usage of 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. For small and mid-sized non-residential customers, rates in 2011 will decrease 3.2 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

"Residential customers should only see a modest increase in their bills next year when long-standing generation rate caps expire," said Paul J. Evanson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Energy. "Our auction results, along with our Watt Watchers conservation programs, will help ensure a smooth transition to market-based rates."

Allegheny Power awarded 20 contracts in this auction, representing approximately 7.4 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of generation supply. The new contracts include the purchase of 5.2 million MWhs for large non-residential customers (Service Type 40) who have not selected a competitive supplier and have requested a one-year fixed price.

The results of the auction were:

For residential customers:

One 17-month contract One 29-month contract Average weighted retail generation price: $55.01/MWh

For small and mid-sized non-residential customers:

Three 17-month contracts One 29-month contract Average weighted retail generation price: $59.14/MWh

For large non-residential customers:

14 twelve-month contracts Average weighted retail generation price: $65.66/MWh

Included in the average weighted retail generation pricing are energy, capacity, Pennsylvania gross receipts taxes, line losses, renewable energy requirements, ancillary services and other provisions. The contracts awarded today begin on January 1, 2011.

The winning suppliers were selected from among seven competitive bidders. An independent monitoring firm, Boston Pacific Company, Inc., oversaw the process for Allegheny Power. Two more auctions are scheduled in 2012. The multiple auctions are designed to shield customers against overexposure to market conditions at any single point in time.

Money-saving options available

Now that customers have a clear picture of next year's market-based rates, they can more easily consider choices available to manage their bills and use energy wisely. Customers may take advantage of Pennsylvania's electric choice program and consider offers from competitive suppliers. Allegheny Power's average price-to-compare for residential customers next year is 7.008c/kWh. More information about choosing a competitive electric generation supplier is available on the Customer Choice page at www.alleghenypower.com.

In addition, Allegheny Power's Watt Watchers program offers incentives, rebate programs and money-saving information. For more information about programs and tips for using energy more efficiently, visit the Watt Watchers section of the company's website at www.alleghenypower.com.

Schedule is for all purchases required for the plan period of January 1, 2011 to May 31, 2013.

Allegheny Energy

Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to approximately 1.5 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this release may contain a number of "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, expect, project, intend, plan, believe, and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These include statements with respect to: rate regulation and the status of retail generation service supply competition in states served by Allegheny Energy's distribution business, Allegheny Power; financing plans; demand for energy and the cost and availability of raw materials, including coal; provider-of-last-resort and power supply contracts; results of litigation; results of operations; internal controls and procedures; capital expenditures; status and condition of plants and equipment; capacity purchase commitments; and regulatory matters. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations and projections and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Actual results have varied materially and unpredictably from past expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, the following: plant performance and unplanned outages; changes in the price of power and fuel for electric generation; general economic and business conditions; changes in access to capital markets and actions of rating agencies; complications or other factors that render it difficult or impossible to obtain necessary lender consents or regulatory authorizations on a timely basis; environmental regulations; the results of regulatory proceedings, including proceedings related to rates; changes in industry capacity, development and other activities by Allegheny Energy's competitors; changes in the weather and other natural phenomena; changes in customer switching behavior and their resulting effects on existing and future load requirements; changes in the underlying inputs and assumptions, including market conditions used to estimate the fair values of commodity contracts; changes in laws and regulations applicable to Allegheny Energy, its markets or its activities; the loss of any significant customers or suppliers; dependence on other electric transmission and gas transportation systems and their constraints or availability; inflationary and interest rate trends changes in market rules, including changes to PJM participant rules and tariffs; the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by accounting standard-setting bodies and accounting issues facing our organization; and the continuing effects of global instability, terrorism and war. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Allegheny Energy's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE: Allegheny Energy

UtiliTech Announces association with the LifeSpan Network

2010-09-30T15:14:00.000-04:00

“UtiliTech Inc., West Lawn, was selected by the LifeSpan Network, a trade association covering Maryland and the District of Columbia, as the provider of its energy and telecommunication cost management program that will be offered as a member benefit.

LifeSpan Network is the largest senior care provider association in the Mid-Atlantic, representing more than 300 senior care provider organizations. The dollar amount of the agreement won’t be determined until UtiliTech begins to provide services to LifeSpan members. UtiliTech was selected through a competitive bidding process.”

For more information on LifeSpan, go to http://www.lifespan-network.org/

Jeff Bialas Promoted to Director of Telecom Services at UtiliTech, Inc.

2010-09-30T13:04:00.001-04:00

Jeff Bialas, of UtiliTech, Inc. West Lawn, has been promoted to the position of Director of Telecom Services. In his new role Jeff will be responsible for all telecom services and staff, telecom procurement, cross-selling to our current account base as well as developing new business opportunities. UtiliTech, Inc. is a energy and telecommunications cost management company which services its customers using cost containment strategies, auditing, and a competitive procurement process. Prior to his promotion, Jeff was a Corporate Analyst at UtiliTech.

UtiliTech Announces Completion of Acquisition

2010-08-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

Reading, August 19, 2010: Today, Steve Bobick announced the sale of UtiliTech, Inc. (“UtiliTech”) to a group of investors led by Emmett Lien and Dennis Hefter. The sale is effective August 1, 2010. The company, which began operations in 1991 will remain in its current location in western Berks and will operate under the UtiliTech brand. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

UtiliTech is a national energy and telecom cost management and procurement consulting company. Clients rely on UtiliTech’s audit services, tariff optimization, procurement services and market research to reduce their overall cost of energy, recover overcharges due to billing errors and improve management’s on-going control of utility costs. UtiliTech’s clients include for-profit and non-profit organizations in industries such as manufacturing, government, healthcare, education, retail and others.

“UtiliTech has helped thousands of clients achieve over $100 million in refunds and savings since its inception,” said Steve Bobick. “In addition, we currently manage in excess of $1 billion of energy procurement for our clients across the country.”

The new management team, led by Emmett Lien has been entrenched in the Berks County business community for many years. The team has conceived and/or operated several successful businesses in the area including Entre Computer Center of Wyomissing, AmeriData Corporation, WorldNet Technology Consultants, Inc. and others. Steve Bobick will remain involved with the day-to-day operations of UtiliTech.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work with Steve Bobick to bring a new energy and a new approach to expanding UtiliTech’s business,” said Emmett Lien, President of UtiliTech. “The company’s focus on its clientele and its ability to help companies save money is a business model that works in good and bad economic times. I look forward to expanding our geographical reach and core capabilities.”

###

Since 1991 UtiliTech, Inc., based in West Lawn PA has been a national leader in utility bill auditing, telecommunications auditing and consulting, energy procurement and management services, and sales tax auditing. Plans are in place to expand both geographically and also in terms of additional service offerings.

Fracing Really Isn't the Problem

2010-07-29T08:47:00.001-04:00

Fracing Really Isn't the Problem
This article explains the problem faced by drilling for natural gas and what is really causing pollution.

Pa. quietly pulls back solar tax credit

2010-06-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

Turns out that the money for those tax credits - about $50 million over eight years from the state's general fund - was eliminated as part of the 101-day budget duel last fall. The move came as the recession choked revenue streams and interest groups fought back a Rendell proposal for a new funding source - taxing natural gas extracted from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale.

Read more: The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Special Update on Expiring Pennsylvania Electric Rate Caps

2010-06-11T15:29:00.001-04:00

Electric rate caps in Pennsylvania expired for PPL customers January 1, 2010. Additionally, rate caps for Met-Ed, PECO, and Penelec customers are set to expire January 1, 2011. While the electric generation market prices are volatile, they have increased significantly since the rate caps were put in place in 1997. Current market conditions create buying opportunities for businesses in both the electricity and natural gas markets for astute customers, but there are some challenges. For more information on utility and telecom costs saving strategies visit

www.utilitech.com.

Ways to save on your electric use & Great new products

2010-05-07T09:05:00.002-04:00

Energy Inc.’s product, The Energy Detective, also known as TED, allows real-time residential energy data to be viewed remotely via the Internet. Check out the Energy Detective product from the link here.

Along with energy monitoring some simple rules you can do to start saving money now!
There are many ways to conserve electricity, but here is a list of cool, hot tips that are simple and effective.

Turn the lights off whenever you leave a room. Yes, even the fluorescent ones.
Put in compact fluorescent bulbs. They have improved tremendously in recent years!
Rather than leaving the outside lights on at night, replace them with a motion-sensing light.
Let your dishes air-dry. Don't run your dishwasher drying cycle.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
Plug the components of your entertainment center into a power strip; turn the power strip off when you are not using your home electronics.
Turn off your computer at night...do not put it in the 'sleep mode'...turn it OFF.
Put in a programmable thermostat and set your temperature for a comfortable setting.
Keep windows and doors closed, and only open them when you have to.
Take a brief shower instead of a soaking bath.
During the summer months, close your blinds and/or curtains during the day and open them at night. In the winter, do the opposite.
Only wash full loads of laundry - and dirty dishes! Half-loads cost just as much as a full-load.
Turn the air conditioner up several degrees at night...better still, turn it off.
Set the thermostat to the maximum comfortable temperature during the day.
Instead of turning on your air conditioner, use a fan.
Lower the temperature of your hot water heater to 120°F -125°F.
If you are shopping for new appliances, be sure to check out Energy Star products - they have been designed to meet EPA efficiency guidelines.

Brought to you by TheEnergyDetective.com

Governor Mifflin School District - Response to Technology Audit

2010-04-30T11:11:00.001-04:00

We recently provided a technology audit for Governor Mifflin School district and they were gracious to put an article together reporting our findings. Visit the link on our Company blog at www.utility-analyst.com for details.
http://utility-analyst.com/?page_id=105

Competitive Electricity Markets Proven Good

2010-04-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

Competitive markets in electricity have proven to be a major benefit to consumers. The The Electric Power Generation Association (EPGA) just released an article describing their findings.
THE POWER OF COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY MARKETS

Smart Meters with a Smart Grid - What’s Up!

2010-04-16T14:41:00.005-04:00

They say that more information is good and when it comes to consumption of energy, knowing how much and where we use it is vital to understanding how to conserve it, that it the idea anyway. Electric companies will be able to modify the price charged per hour based on consumption very much like the wholesale markets do. It will also allow intermittent alternative resources like wind power or solar to be properly utilized because of the ability to monitor and meet customer demands. What will be the legacy electric distribution of today is very wasteful. When the temperature rises and air conditioners are running hard, the electric companies have to ramp up and make sure they supply the necessary power to keep everyone cool. How this is done is the distribution company must purchase large amounts of electric from generation suppliers to meet these high demands, thus creating more cost which is in turn charged to the consumer. The term blackout comes to mind and is obviously when demand exceeds supply. So basically the old technology worked fine for many years but will not be suitable for future generations of the power hungry, technology minded population.

The Smart Grid is becoming reality and you have to admit, it is needed. When you realize the amount of energy waist in the US, you surely understand the need for the change in how we do things. During outages or failures the Smart Grid will automatically reroute power and avoid potential disasters and maintain supply. Just as the Internet changed distribution over the past 10 years, so too will the need for advanced control over the way we report, distribute, and monitor electric supply.
The Good Things
- Reduces cost of conventional meter reading procedures which as most of you know required a person to physically go to your meter and take the reading. Fortunately there will be the addition of new skilled technical jobs to offset the reduction of meter readers.
-The utility will be aware of power outages instantly and take action to reactivate their service sooner.
-Utilities can turn off power to unused properties remotely, saving power that is potentially stolen or consumed unintentionally where no one is responsible for payments.
- Consumers can be more effectively supplied by alternative sources of power, like wind or solar do to better control of distribution.
- Smart appliances which can be adjusted for time of day use and even turned off during high cost times. If the utility doesn’t have to purchase more electric during high demand, the cost to the consumer will be less.
- The consumer will be able to monitor their own consumption and better understand how to make adjustments to save money.
-Government incentives are allowing utilities to launch programs to train workers to install meters, provide technology demonstrations and aid low income housing and development authorities.
-Allows for the growth of the electric vehicle industry. Batteries used in automobiles will be communicating directly with the 'Grid' and allow for storage of power for used during high demand times.
The Ugly Things
-Meter tampering or information security not to mention identity theft is an issue since people are not be visiting and inspecting the devices on a regular basis.
- Utilities can turn off your power for lack of payment. In some situations this could disrupt the lives of people in need and in hard times.
- Increased cost across the country to pay for the smart metering infrastructure.
- Smart appliances will dictate when they can be used based on demand which is inconvenient and an invasion of privacy to some degree.
- Smart meters are making their way to the mainstream and much attention is being spent on developing the necessary infrastructure. If you try to implement such an expensive solution to save money, the last thing you need is customers complaining about their electric costing more after installing a smart meter. In some states like California where tier pricing is used, a small increase in usage may cause a higher bill while other parts of the country find the distribution cost increasing to pay for the building of the components to make smart metering a possibility.

There will be stages of development, which once finalized will make for a much better supply/demand solution we can all live with.