Energy User News articles from March 1987

Energy User News archives from March 1987

Demand charge hike turning bldg's tenants to ice storage.
March 2, 1987... Demand Charge Hike Turning Bldg's Tenants to Ice Storage WALTHAM, Mass.--When demand charges jumped from $6 to $20 per kw in one year, IBM Corp. and Arkwright Insurance Corp., Boston, decided to install an ice storage system in their new...

N-plant rate impact would be 'devastating,' steel mill says. (Atlantic Steel Co., Georgia Power Co.)
March 2, 1987... N-Plant Rate Impact Would Be 'Devastating,' Steel Mill Says ATLANTA--Atlantic Steel Co., an electric-furnace steel mill here, says it faces 'financially devastating" straits if Georgia Power Co. gets regulatory approval to charge customers...

PLs at Transamerica bldg. cut elec. costs by $10k-yr.
March 2, 1987... PLs At Transamerica Bldg. Cut Elec. Costs By $10K/Yr. SAN FRANCISCO--The Transamerica Life Insurance Building here, one of the few pyramids on the skyline of a major American city, has replaced the incandescent floodlights around the...

Steelmaker eyes wheeling cheap Illinois Kwh to Ind. (USX Corp.)
March 2, 1987... Steelmaker Eyes Wheeling Cheap Illinois Kwh to Ind. GARY, Ind.--An Indiana court has been asked to decide whether USX Corp. can use a discount electricity rate from an Illinois utility to cut energy costs at its Indiana mill. The...

Bank-wide daylighting project begins with 12 NY branches. (National Westminster Bank USA)
March 2, 1987... Bank-Wide Daylighting Project Begins With 12 NY Branches NEW YORK--As part of an ongoing project that may eventually include all 140 branch offices of the National Westminster Bank USA, automatic daylight-sensing fluorescent controllers have...

PLC EMS to cut hotel's elec. costs 14 percent. (Royale Vista Inn energy management system)
March 2, 1987... PLC EMS To Cut Hotel's Elec. Costs 14 Percent HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--The Royale Vista Inn here expects to cut its annual electricity costs by more than 14 percent, or about $13,500, with a powerline carrier energy management system that will...

Study supports municipal alternative financing. (Department of Energy)
March 2, 1987... Study Supports Municipal Alternative Financing A recent study sponsored by the Department of Energy has found that, in the educational sector alone, energy savings available to state and local governments through alternative financing methods...

FERC drops Midland cogen. from agenda after intervention. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Midland nuclear power plant)
March 2, 1987... FERC Drops Midland Cogen. From Agenda After Intervention WASHINGTON--After a last-minute intervention by a cogeneration developer who claimed the project might have an adverse impact on other cogenerators in the state, the Federal Energy...

FERC grants Southern's 7Cs but denies transport rate. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Southern Natural Gas Co.)
March 2, 1987... FERC Grants Southern's 7Cs But Denies Transport Rate WASHINGTON--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted 17 more 7C certificates on Southern Natural Gas Co.'s interstate pipeline, but in the process struck down Southern's...

Naruc opposes mandatory carriage proposal. (National Association of Regulatory Commissioners)
March 2, 1987... Naruc Opposes Mandatory Carriage Proposal WASHINGTON--Strong pressure from gas utilities and interstate pipelines has reportedly persuaded the gas committee of the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (Naruc) to vote down by a...

Cheap kwh for mfrs. imperiled by geographic rivalry in N.Y.
March 9, 1987... Cheap Kwh for Mfrs. Imperiled By Geographic Rivalry in N.Y. ALBANY, N.Y.--Upstate and downstate legislators are wrestling over who will get a state agency's cheap power from upstate plants, with New York City area legislators threatening to...

Enercon Data to buy Butler EMS line; will assume service. (energy management systems; Butler Controls)
March 9, 1987... Enercon Data To Buy Butler EMS Line; Will Assume Service MINNEAPOLIS--Enercon Data Corp. here has agreed, in principle, to purchase the energy management system product line of Butler Controls, Division of Butler Manufacturing Co., Redmond,...

FERC's take-or-pay statement sticks with original proposals. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
March 9, 1987... FERC's Take-or-Pay Statement Sticks with Original Proposals WASHINGTON -- The proposed policy statement on pipeline recovery of take-or-pay costs, issued last week by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, does not vary significantly from...

Tourist complex to save $137K-yr. with cogen. plant. (Long Beach tourist complex)
March 9, 1987... Tourist Complex To Save $137K/Yr. With Cogen. Plant LONG-BEACH, Calif.--An unusual 51-acre tourist attraction and shopping complex here that includes a floating hotel and the world's largest airplane expects to see a guaranteed energy...

Mass. city to get district heating, cogen. (Springfield, Massachusetts)
March 9, 1987... Mass. City to Get District Heating, Cogen. DETROIT--ANR Venture Management Co. here has announced plans to develop a $40 million, dual-fuel cogeneration-fired district heating system for Springfield, Mass. The project is expected to...

Prepa petitions FERC to reopen Alcon case. (Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority)
March 9, 1987... Prepa Petitions FERC to Reopen Alcon Case WASHINGTON--The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) has filed for a rehearsing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order earlier this year that compelled the utility to provide backup...

Chairman Hesse outlines FERC goals at natural gas roundtable. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Martha Hesse)
March 9, 1987... Chairman Hesse Outlines FERC Goals at Natural Gas Roundtable WASHINGTON--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can meet its deadlines for resolving major natural gas policy matters and "will complete what we say we will in 1987," Chairman...

Lawsuit airs internal Lilco N-plant documents. (Long Island Lighting Co.; Suffolk County Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant case)
March 9, 1987... Lawsuit Airs Internal Lilco N-Plant Documents MINEOLA, N.Y.--Suffolk County's government, as part of its fight against the Shoreham nuclear plant, last week filed a class action lawsuit for $8.7 billion, claiming that Long Island Lighting Co....

Ga. firm gets mktg. rights to Novar's PCEP software. (Itex Corp., Novar Controls Corp.)
March 16, 1987... Ga. Firm Gets Mktg. Rights To Novar's PCEP Software DULUTH, Ga. -- Novar Controls Corp., Barberton, Ohio, has sold the marketing and development rights as well as support responsibility for its PCEP Novcom software to Itex Corp. here, EUN...

Ga. lawmakers OK exception to ban on 3rd-party cogen. (cogeneration)
March 16, 1987... Ga. Lawmakers OK Exception To Ban on 3rd-Party Cogen. ATLANTA -- The Georgia legislature approved Thursday a narrow exception to its ban on third-party financing of cogeneration, but let stand the 1979 prohibition itself. The waiver,...

Mfrs. offering new systems in larger and smaller kw ranges.
March 16, 1987... Mfrs. Offering New Systems in Larger and Smaller Kw Ranges CHICAGO--At least four manufacturers have introduced new packaged cogeneration systems in the past six months. While packaged cogeneration systems have traditionally been within the...

One-year payback seen for AET EMS in office building. (energy management system)
March 16, 1987... One-Year Payback Seen for AET EMS in Office Building MORRISTOWN, N.J. -- An AET 816/32 EMS installed at a four-story office building here has saved $21,000 in combined gas and electricity costs between Nov. 23, 1986 and Jan. 7, 1987,...

Barber-Colman wins radio-based EMS job. (energy management system)
March 16, 1987... Barber-Colman Wins Radio-Based EMS Job FT. WAYNE, Inc. -- In an unusually detailed, equipment-specific bid for a 4,000-point, 18-building, radio-controlled EMS for the Ft. Wayne Community School District here, a Barber-Colman Network 2100...

ICF: conflicts impair N. England elec. plans. (ICF Inc.)
March 16, 1987... ICF: Conflicts Impair N. England. Elec. Plans WASHINGTON--New England will see an electric power shortage in the next 10 to 20 years, but conflicting economic growth projections and political agendas of policy makers and utilities are...

436 settlement gets OK, but 7C denied in FERC action. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
March 16, 1987... 436 Settlement Gets OK, but 7C Denied in FERC Action WASHINGTON--Last week's regular meeting of the Federal Regulatory Commission brought good news and bad news to end users seeking self-help gas. The good news came to customers along...

FERC grants QF status to Midland; OKs power pool. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; qualifying status to CMS Midland and Western Systems Power Pool projects) (Includes other FERC business)
March 16, 1987... FERC Grants QF Status to Midland; OKs Power Pool WASHINGTON--Expanding from its focus on natural gas issues that become the norm in recent months, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission acted on-several major electric cases at its regular...

DOE energy security study pushes coal, gas, renewables. (Department of Energy)
March 23, 1987... DOE Energy Security Study Pushes Coal, Gas, Renewables WASHINGTON--The Department of Energy issued a comprehensive analysis of U.S. energy markets last week, including a broad base of information that Secretary of Energy John Herrington said...

PSC: no hike to smelters despite util.'s debt squeeze. (Kentucky Public Service Commission)
March 23, 1987... PSC: No Hike To Smelters Despite Util.'s Debt Squeeze FRANKFORT, Ky.--Faced with two aluminum smelters' claims that higher electric rates would close them down, regulators here rejected a 13 percent rate hike for Big Rivers Electric Corp., a...

R.I. program subsidizes audits, loans for industrials. (Rhode Island)
March 23, 1987... R.I. Program Subsidizes Audits, Loans for Industrials PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Using $875,000 in Exxon Corp. oil overcharge funds, the Rhode Island Governor's Office of Energy Assistance has established a new program for subsidizing industrial...

1.8-yr. payback seen on mfr.'s thermal energy storage system.
March 23, 1987... 1.8-Yr. Payback Seen on Mfr.'s Thermal Energy Storage System COVINA, Calif.--By moving an energy-intensive manufacturing process to off-peak hours and installing thermal energy storage systems (TES) in its three buildings here, Miles...

Screw-in PLs cut lighting costs at egg farm. (fluorescent light bulbs)
March 23, 1987... Screw-In PLs Cut Lighting Costs At Egg Farm LEBANON, Conn.--An egg farm here expects to save approximately $78,500 annually by replacing the 6,565 incandescent bulbs that provide light for the farm's nearly 2 million chickens with screw-in...

FERC's new view on take-or-pay explained. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
March 23, 1987... FERC's New View on Take-or-Pay Explained WASHINGTON--While users like Andy Merrels, chairman of the Process Gas Consumers Group, argue against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposed take-or-pay policy (see EUN Forum, page 18),...

School's EMS nets 23% savings over 6 mos. (energy management systems)
March 23, 1987... School's EMS Nets 23% Savings Over 6 Mos. TEXARKANA, Texas--Performing only time-of-day scheduling and optimum start/stop strategies, a 22-point EMS has cut Liberty-Eylau high school's energy bills by more than 23 percent in the first six...

Synthetic alternative to no. 6 oil ready soon.
March 23, 1987... Synthetic Alternative to No. 6 Oil Ready Soon WASHINGTON--A new fuel, said to be an alternative to No. 6 fuel oil, will be available to large industrial users within the year, according to Steuart Petroleum Co., an oil distributor here, and...

Rate hearings air self-generation trend.
March 23, 1987... Rate Hearings Air Self-Generation Trend SAN FRANCISCO--Self-generation by large customers, backing out retail sales by California utilities, may grow to 17 billion kwh annually in the 1990s, according to figures supplied to regulators last...

U.S. oil reserves slipping, firms report.
March 23, 1987... U.S. Oil Reserves Slipping, Firms Report NEW YORK--As energy companies begin reporting on how much U.S. crude oil they have available in the ground for future production, Amoco's tally shows a 12 percent drop during 1986, Chevron's a 10...

Hosp. expects 2-yr. payback from retrofit.
March 23, 1987... Hosp. Expects 2-Yr. Payback From Retrofit KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--Fort Sanders Medical Center is nearing completion of a $382,370 energy conservation retrofit at its five-building complex here. The retrofit includes variable speed drives,...

Working through FERC's take-or-pay pitfalls. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
March 23, 1987... Working Through FERC's Take-or-Pay Pitfalls If the goal of energy regulation over the past two years has been to move closer to free market conditions, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposed statement of policy on take-or-pay...

Iowa targets state bldgs. in $40 million program. (energy conservation program)
March 30, 1987... Iowa Targets State Bldgs. In $40 Million Program DES MOINES, Iowa--The State of Iowa, which imports 98 percent of the energy it consumes, has just begun a $40 million conservation program for state buildings that will include everything from...

New PG&E industrial team counsels potential defectors. (Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to advise major users)
March 30, 1987... New PG&E Industrial Team Counsels Potential Defectors To improve ties with its key electricity customers and promote alternatives to cogeneration, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. here has assigned 50 account executives to a market retention...

New R.I. state bldg. to cut elec. 31% with cogen. (Rhode Island's Department of Administration)
March 30, 1987... New R. I. State Bldg. to Cut Elec. 31% with Cogen. As part of a state initiative to plan for expected regional electricity shortages in the next 10 years, Rhode Island's new Department of Administration Building, under construction here,...

Proposed N.J. cogen permit rules may raise costs 50%. (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
March 30, 1987... Proposed N.J. Cogen Permit Rules May Raise Costs 50% New Jersey cogenerators are anxiously awaiting the state Department of Environmental Protection's new permit requirements, expected this week, that will include guidelines for reducing...

Attendance down at N.J. Energy Exposition. (New Jersey Energy Exposition for Business and Industry)
March 30, 1987... Attendance Down at N.J. Energy Exposition Attendance at the 12th annual New Jersey Energy Exposition for Business and Industry has dropped this year, following a trend of lower energy show attendance nationwide. A spokeswoman for the...

Solar pond producing power for Texas cannery. (Bruce Foods Corp.)
March 30, 1987... Solar Pond Producing Power for Texas Cannery A canning plant here is getting 20 percent of its electricity from a turbine powered with heat stored in a salt-water solar pond. The solar pond is an experimental program operated by the...

Transco nixes FERC version of 436 settlement. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.)
March 30, 1987... Transco Nixes FERC Version of 436 Settlement Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. (Transco) last week rejected the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's version of the pipeline's Order 436 settlement approved Feb. 20. At the same time,...

FERC refuses rehearing on Alcon case. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; backup power from Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority)
March 30, 1987... FERC Refuses Rehearing on Alcon Case The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has refused to reconsider its January decision granting backup power to Alcon Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Puerto Rico that gets its main electricity supply...

N.J. panel eyes market-based elec. prices. (New Jersey task force)
March 30, 1987... N.J. Panel Eyes Market-Based Elec. Prices A new task force to study market-based pricing of electricity is currently being formed by executive order of Gov. Thomas Kean. Membership on the task force should be approved by Kean shortly,...

Rejected wheeling applicants weigh tactics. (W.R. Grace to build own power transmission lines from plant to mine)
March 30, 1987... Rejected Wheeling Applicants Weigh Tactics A financially troubled phosphate facility in Bartow, Fla., is moving ahead with plans to build its own transmission lines to carry cogenerated power from its manufacturing plant to its mine,...