Energy User News articles from July 2002

Energy User News archives from July 2002

Energy industry short-circuited by 'Enronitis' epidemic.(energy industry forced to rebuild credibility)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The downfall of Enron has affected just about everyone with a connection to the energy business, from power producers to end users to Wall Street analysts. What is clear is that the industry is under siege and faces a daunting task of...

Secretary says conservation and efficiency are vital.(Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON DC--If the United States doesn't realize significant energy conservation and efficiency gains over the next two decades, "It won't make any difference how much oil we recover in Alaska or how many new power plants are built. We won't...

Bekaert ECD Solar Systems. (Eunticker).(opens new manufacturing facility)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Bekaert ECD Solar Systems announced the June 1 opening of a manufacturing plant near Detroit that will mass produce three miles of solar cells each day. The company says that the plant is a first in the United States and will produce 30,000 kW...

The Ohio Power Siting Board. (Eunticker).(approves three power projects)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The Ohio Power Siting Board approved three power projects worth $1.32 billion that would add almost 2000 MW to the state grid. The plants, approved for construction by, would be built by units of Cogentrix Energy Inc., Global Energy Inc., and...

TXU Corp. (Eunticker).(buys 74.9% stake in Braunschweiger Versorgungs AG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... TXU Corp. said May 17 that it paid $400 million for a 74.9% share of the German utility, Braunschweiger Versorgungs AG (BVAG), in a continuing effort to expand in that country's deregulated energy market. BVAG is TXU's third German acquisition...

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (Eunticker).(wins contracts from National Energy Production Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a Canadian engineering group, has received contracts valued in total at $900 million to take over construction of eight gas-fired thermal power plants in the United States from Enron subsidiary National Energy Production...

Entergy, Southern Company, and Xcel Energy. (Eunticker).(recognized as offering best overall customer service in 2001)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Entergy, Southern Company, and Xcel Energy were recognized by multi-site energy users as the electric companies who offered the best overall customer service in 2001. The winners were chosen during the fourth annual Customer Service Awards...

Commonwealth Edison Co. (Eunticker).(to discontinue aggressive accounting)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Commonwealth Edison Co. said May 18 that it would abandon an aggressive accounting practice that inflated the equity on the company's balance sheet and could permit CoinEd to avoid paying refunds to ratepayers in the future. Exelon Corp.,...

The Department of Energy's Fossil Energy research program. (Eunticker).(adds three new projects)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... The Department of Energy's Fossil Energy research program is adding three new projects to find ways to recover "left behind" oil in regions that are difficult to access. Nearly two out of every three barrels of oil discovered in the United...

EUN Calendar. (News).
July 1, 2002... JULY 31-August 2 Coal-Gen, America's Center, St. Louis, MO. Pennwell. For more information, call: (918) 831-9161, email: coal-gen@pennwell.com, or visit: coal-gen.com. SEPTEMBER 19-21 Energy Exchanges Online III. Sheraton Hotel,...

Experts call for new NYC generation incentives. (News).(New York Energy Buyers Forum sponsors panel discussion)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK, NY--At a seminar on ways to encourage construction of power plants in New York City, experts from various sides of the issue agreed on one thing: if reliability is to be maintained and power prices are ever to become competitive,...

Some traders profit from Enron's Demise. (News).(New York Mercantile Exchange sees positive results)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) appears to have emerged as one of the winners in the Enron meltdown. Through April, overall exchange volume was up 34% from the previous year, with natural gas futures surging 93% and natural...

Toronto ISH NA exhibitor list continues to grow. (News).(International Trade Fair for Kitchen & Bath, Plumbing, Piping, Heating, and Air-conditioning)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... ATLANTA, GA--Total exhibitors are approaching 325, with 400 expected in time for the October 31 opening of the International Trade Fair for Kitchen & Bath, Plumbing, Piping, Heating, and Air-conditioning. ISH NA will run through November 2,...

Cheap chills: Nanotech cooling device is secret of efficient HVAC of the future. (News).(Cool Chips plc introduces Cool Chips)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE, CA--Cool Chips plc revealed that its Cool Chips, wafer-thin discs claimed to produce cooling or refrigeration more efficiently and cheaply than any competing technology, use quantum mechanical electron tunneling as the primary cooling...

New state initiatives and laws boost renewable energy. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... A proposed initiative in Michigan and new laws and regulations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire may increase the production and use of renewable energy in each of the states. In Michigan, the "NextEnergy" economic development plan...

Supreme Court says California went too far. (News).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON DC -- California Gov. Gray Davis didn't have the authority to seize more than $200 million in energy contracts during last year's power crisis, the U.S. Supreme Court decided June 3, when it declined to overturn an appellate court...

Energy Star tool assesses economic benefit. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--Energy Star has developed an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet called the cash flow opportunity calculator (CFOC) that helps building owners calculate the costs and savings of energy conservation measures. Users have only to enter a...

Letters.
July 1, 2002... May Issue Brings Flowers and Brickbats. Editor takes some lumps, author replies to readers on lighting issues. EUN's May issue caused a number of readers to express their thoughts. Number one on their minds: the article entitled "Can...

Inaction on the Action Report: don't assume everything is as it seems--or that it's not. (Environmental Policies).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... President Bush, in a city known for hot air, so far has adamantly stuck to his position that global warming is just that-overheated, half-baked gobbledygook. Now, the U.S. Climate Action Report 2002, prepared by his own Environmental...

Searching for good news: energy providers shot themselves in the foot. (Editorial).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Not so long ago, energy companies like Enron, Reliant, Calpine, and others were market darlings, well positioned to profit from a nearly insatiable demand for a product in short supply. California, it was thought, had botched deregulation, but...

A few thoughts on the industry: Ideas from session at Globalcon. (Energy User News Dialogue).
July 1, 2002... On March 29, 2002, the Association of Energy Engineers at its Globalcon conference in Philadelphia hosted a wide-ranging panel discussion about energy end use. The editorial board of EUN hosted an open forum for attendees. Jack McGowan, George...

Consumers profit from energy providers' customer loyalty programs: what to ask your utility.
July 1, 2002... Energy deregulation in the United States has lost pace--and in some states, stopped altogether--due to the flawed deregulation attempt in California, Pacific Gas & Electric's bankruptcy, and the fallout from Enron's collapse. However, despite...

Severe duty electric motors. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Severe duty electric motors feature low-vibration characteristics, a bearing system designed to provide superb or bearing life, Class H insulation components for better thermal resistance, and a lower running temperature for longer life. These...

Used-generator web site. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Used-generator web site lists generator sets and power systems for sale. The company says the web site is the first factory-sponsored program that offers low-hour used generator sets for sale, as well as transformers and electrical distribution...

Paralleling switchgear. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Paralleling switchgear is designed as a peak-shaving control system that allows the generator to operate only when the utility is available. The generator can synchronize individually on and off to the power source in a soft transition mode,...

Network connection tool. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Network connection tool is designed to reduce project labor costs. Its communications design and messaging structure are BAGnet compliant. The multi-port BACnet-compliant router, in conjunction with BACtalk operator terminal software, enables...

Adjustable-speed HVAC drives. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Adjustable-speed HVAC drives feature relay outputs with programmable time delay and separately programmable on and off levels; speed and on/off controls from a single analog input; resettable elapsed time and kilowatt hour meter functions; dc...

Paralleling switchgear models. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Paralleling switchgear models offer cost reduction opportunities, installation flexibility, and more control over power demands. The manufacturer's switchgear line has been expanded with the PD-75, a single-generator wall-mount unit for...

Steam trap sizing and selection software. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Steam trap sizing and selection software can be loaded on a Palm or PocketPC. The software includes over 500 traps of various types, sizes, and configurations to fit virtually every application. Users may pick from specific applications or...

AC drive. (Power and Reliability Products).(advertisement)
July 1, 2002... AC drive provides speed control for motors from 0.22 to 3.7 kW (5 hp) and in voltage classes of 115, 230, and 480 V. It is suited for applications such as machine tools, fans, pumps, conveyors, and material handling systems. The compact drive...

Voltage disturbance recorder. (Power and Reliability Products).(Advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Voltage disturbance recorder is capable of monitoring and recording essential voltage disturbance information from any 120-V North American power receptacle. The recorder can detect surges, sags, spikes, frequency variations, and outages. To...

Severe-duty motors. (Power and Reliability Products).(Advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Severe-duty motors are available directly from stock, including premium or standard efficiencies in ratings from 1/2 to 500 hp. Non-stock (to 2000 lip) motors are delivered in just ten working days. The line of severe-duty motors features cast...

Wireless monitor. (Power and Reliability Products).(Advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Wireless monitor is mounted near a generator and in the event of an operation disturbance, sends an alert noting problem details and unit information to a targeted device(s) determined by the customer, communicating that message via pager,...

Electric motor drives. (Power and Reliability Products).(Advertisement)
July 1, 2002... Electric motor drives feature volts-per-hertz, sensorless vector, and closed-loop vector control in a single drive. Matching the control mode to the application is as simple as selecting a parameter via the drive's operator friendly...

Optimizing ventilation system performance: fresh air adds to the bottom line. (Energy Management Series).
July 1, 2002... Optimizing the performance of a ventilation system maximizes its ability to provide the building's occupants with the intended amount of ventilation while using the least amount of energy necessary. Operators need to have reliable information...

ASHRAE publishes fuel cell guide for buildings. (News).(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... ATLANTA--Fuel Cells for Building Applications, a new book published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), provides building designers with information they need to identify fuel cell...

Borbely-Bartis describes DG of the future. (News).(Ann-Marie Borbely-Bartis, distributed generation networks)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... CHICAGO, IL--Ann-Marie Borbely-Bartis, U.S. Department of Energy and member of EUN's editorial advisory board, described research she has been doing to examine the potential of adopting the self-healing techniques of computer networks to...

Sonic waves help recover natural gas from clogged storage sites. (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... NMORGANTOWN, WV--A sonic cleaning technology has the potential to increase significantly the efficiency at which natural gas is withdrawn from storage reservoirs, scientists say. On average, more than 17,000 gas storage wells lose 5% of...

Long Island cable underway. (News).(high-voltage cable to ease tight power supply in New York City)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Work finally got underway on a high-voltage cable across Long Island Sound to ease tight power supplies in southwest Connecticut and New York's Long Island following a four-year legal battle by opponents. Without the line, energy...

7x24 speaker calls for power density standard. (News).(Bill Angle)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... ORLANDO, FL--Speaking on June 5 before attendees at the 7x24exchange 2002 Spring Conference, Bill Angle, principal, CS Technology, outlined a proposal to develop a power density standard for data centers and other mission critical facilities....

Is nuclear power making a comeback in the US? (News).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... It's been over 20 years since a new nuclear plant has been proposed in the United States, but recent news suggests this languishing power source may be having a revival. Thanks to a new, streamlined licensing process offered by the Nuclear...

Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices. (Statistics, Trends and Enerty Data).(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices Each Degree Day valued at $100 Cooling Degree Days Location May June July Aug Sep ...

Ranking of Gas Utility Prices by State Industrial. (Statistics, Trends and Enerty Data).(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Ranking of Gas Utility Prices By State Industrial Rank State Price/Mcf 1 Hawaii $8.59 2 Massachusetts $8.29 3 Indiana $7.62 4 Pennsylvania ...

Degree Days for Selected Cities. (Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities May Monthly Monthly Deviation Monthly Deviation City Total from Norm from Last Year Atlanta 160 3 -7 Baltimore...

Spot Market Gas: Posted Prices. (Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(various companies)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Spot Market Gas: Posted Prices June prices represent estimates of median prices for one-month spot transactions. Prices are not offers. Source: Dynegy Inc. Pipeline June-01 May-02 Jun-02 ANR, La. ...

Electricity Price Comparison. (Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Boston Edison Co., Consolidated Edison, Niagara Mohawk, PSE and G, PECO, Duquesne)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Electricity Price Comparison Breakeven Rates ($/therm) January February March Large Office (150,000 [ft.sup.2])...

Gas Price Comparison. (Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Boston Edison Co., Consolidated Edison, Niagara Mohawk, PSE and G, PECO, Peoples Natural Gas)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Gas Price Comparison Breakeven Rates ($/therm) January February March First Quarter Large Office (150,000...

Utility buys town to settle objections. (News).(American Electric Power buys Cheshire, Ohio)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... CHESHIRE, OH--American Electric Power, accused by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of violating the Clean Air Act and the target of complaints by residents of this southeast Ohio village, is solving some of its problems by buying the...