Energy User News articles from October 2002

Energy User News archives from October 2002

EIA taken to task for frequent weekly gas storage report revisions.(Energy Information Administration )
October 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC -- The mistrust and suspicion that took root with the California energy crisis and was confirmed in the minds of many by the collapse of Enron and subsequent revelations has tainted virtually every nook and cranny of the energy...

Federal agency and California square off over ISO.(in lawsuit filed, the FERC said board of California Independent System Operator is overly influenced by the state)
October 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC -- In a lawsuit filed Aug. 16 in U.S. district court here, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said the board of the California Independent System Operator (CA-ISO) is overly influenced by the state, which through the...

Aquila Inc. (EUNTicker).(to exit wholesale-energy marketing and trading business )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Aquila Inc. announced in August that it will exit the wholesale-energy marketing and trading business by the end of the third quarter 2002. As part of its restructuring process, the company will significantly reduce its merchant service...

BP Energy Co. (EUNTicker).(enters into agreements with subsidiaries of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... BP Energy Co. and subsidiaries of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP., announced on August 26 that they have entered into agreements that provide BR with natural gas transportation, storage, and gas supply on Kinder Morgan's Texas intra-state...

Duke Energy North America. (EUNTicker).(halts construction at two power plants, slows development of another and rethinks facility expansions)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Duke Energy North America officials on August 23 confirmed that they have halted construction at two 600 MW power plants, have slowed development at another, and are rethinking whether to proceed with expansions of other facilities. The company...

S&C Electric. (EUNTicker).(merges EnergyLine Systems and its Electronic Products Division to form Automation Systems Division )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... S&C Electric announced the creation of the Automation Systems Division. Beginning on September 1, 2002, the new division created by merging EnergyLine Systems and the Electronic Products Division of S&C will provide an expanded array of...

Calpine Corp. (EUNTicker).(to sell Canadian oil and gas properties to NAL Resources)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Calpine Corp., on August 29 said it agreed to sell Canadian oil and gas properties for $81 million to NAL Resources, enabling Calpine to improve its cash position in the wake of a credit crunch prompted by Enron Corp.'s collapse. The...

Retail grocery chain Kroger Co. (EUNTicker).(asks FERC to cancel wholesale electricity contracts it signed in 2001 with Dynegy Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Retail grocery chain Kroger Co. on August 14 asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to cancel wholesale electricity contracts it signed in 2001 with energy trader Dynegy Inc. Kroger joins a host of other parties, including the...

Unity is essential: more than ever, we need an energy policy. (Editorial).(Editorial)
October 1, 2002... A full year after the attack of September 11th, the Congress is still struggling over energy policy and homeland security. A little over two years ago, I heard columnist Frank Gaffney, who specializes in foreign and defense policy matters,...

Beating the odds: designers of critical facilities employ probabilistic risk assessment techniques. (Critical Issues).
October 1, 2002... Mission critical facilities support functions essential to human life and health and economic activities worth trillions of dollars. Designing, operating, and maintaining these systems can be essential to their proper operation. Key engineering...

Toronto adds international flavor to ISH. (News).(debut of ISH North America for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, plumbing, or kitchen and bath industries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... With three days of seminars, exhibitions, and special events, the debut ISH North America show promises to be significant for anyone involved in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, plumbing, or kitchen and bath industries....

Arizona commission steps back from deregulation rules. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... PHOENIX, AZ -- The Arizona Corporation Commission on August 27 altered the course of deregulation in that state, when the commissioners voted to eliminate the obligation of utilities to divest their generating capacity. The changes were put in...

EUN Calendar.(Calendar)
October 1, 2002... OCTOBER 15-16 Empire Energy & Environmental Exposition, Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, NY. Environmental Business Association of New York State. For more information, call Donna C. Way: (518) 432-6400, fax: (518) 4321383 or...

Rocky Mountains Institute book boosts DG. (News).(published new book called Small Is Profitable: The Hidden Economic Benefits of Making Electrical Resources the Right Size)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... SNOWMASS, CO -- The Rocky Mountain Institute published a new 398-page book called Small Is Profitable: The Hidden Economic Benefits of Making Electrical Resources the Right Size. The book is directed to the electric power industry and is...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2002... The business affiliation given for Daniel M. Violette, a co-author of "Making Demand Response a Reality" in the August issue of EUN, (pp. 17-18) was incorrect. Violette is a principal with Summit Blue Consulting, which has offices in Boulder,...

Transmission systems in transition: new markets and an old system.
October 1, 2002... The electric transmission system moves large volumes of energy from where it is generated to where it is used. Originally, however, the system was intended primarily to serve the native loads of local utilities. At the time the system came...

When is cogeneration right? A matter of economics.
October 1, 2002... Today cogeneration isn't considered a mysterious technology. Often, however, a lack of evaluation methods and criteria are barriers to exploring cogeneration feasibility. In addition, the time and costs associated with hiring consultants for...

Deregulation stimulates onsite power developments: even quadgeneration is a possibility.
October 1, 2002... Energy users in deregulated markets now have it within their power to take advantage of onsite cogeneration options that allow them to take firm control of their future energy needs and costs. Cogeneration, trigeneration, and even...

Getting real-time control on the plant floor: flexible infrastructure can be scaled for local or enterprise wide use.
October 1, 2002... Many equipment suppliers today are promoting "open" systems, touting that their systems are designed around "standards" and claiming that those systems can be "seamlessly integrated" into existing infrastructure. Unfortunately, many facility...

Should drives be specified in division 15 or 16? VFDs require a new discussion.(variable frequency drives)
October 1, 2002... Recently, variable frequency drive (VFD) manufacturers have participated in a discussion about moving the VFD specifications from the mechanical portion of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Master Spec (Division 15) to the...

Portable power generator line. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Portable power generator line features 15 models, ranging from 25 to 800 kVA. The units are suited for standby power at hospitals, factories, and schools. All internal parts of each machine are shock mounted to a heavy steel frame for minimum...

Power control systems and equipment. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Power control systems and equipment designed to meet the performance and reliability requirements of computer, communications, health care, and other critical facilities are described on website www.russelectric.com). Users can download...

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is battery-free and ranges in power from 300 to 900 kVA. The system integrates flywheel technology that protects against sags, surges, and outages. The UPS offers easy maintenance, field expandability for...

Overhead cooling system. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Overhead cooling system provides precise temperature and humidity control of small areas where space is at a premium, including CAD/CAM installations, telecommunications equipment, data processing, control rooms, desktop publishing, network...

Automatic transfer switches. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Automatic transfer switches are designed for use in critical applications such as hospitals, military sites, airports, communications facilities, and computer installations. Features of the medium-voltage switches include NEMA 1 cabinet...

National integrated power system maintenance program. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... National integrated power system maintenance program is designed to ensure the reliability of all brands of on-site power systems. The program utilizes the company's distributor network with 150 locations and features certified technicians for...

Internet connection for intelligent devices. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Internet connection for intelligent devices enables web-based control for small networks. The device provides a cost-effective way to monitor and control small networks of everyday devices in homes, apartments, and small buildings over the...

High-end revenue meter. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... High-end revenue meter, which features advanced power quality analysis, is designed for both industrial and utility applications. It offers precise energy measurements, detailed load information, time of use capability, waveform capture,...

Maximum demand controllers. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Maximum demand controllers for industrial and commercial electric power users monitor instantaneous and demand power and control them to achieve an average of 15-30% savings on maximum demand charges. This is achieved by temporarily reducing or...

Air nozzles and jets blowoff guide. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Air nozzles and jets blowoff guide is a 16-page technical booklet that offers solutions to reducing compressed air cost and noise. The guide details OSHA requirements for maximum allowable noise exposure as well as issues concerning maximum...

DC flywheel energy storage system. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... DC flywheel energy storage system is battery-free and reduces space requirements, temperature restrictions, replacement cycles, and maintenance while improving UPS system reliability and operational integrity, the manufacturer says. Features...

Centrifugal chiller purging device. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Centrifugal chiller purging device removes oil, acid, and moisture from a chiller's refrigerant charge. The unit cleans the charge to a trace level of oil, restoring chiller to peak operating efficiency and reducing energy consumption. It also...

Energy-efficient T8 lamp. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Energy-efficient T8 lamp will save up to IL 1% in energy over standard T8 lamps without compromising light output, while offering up to 25,000 hr of rated life, the manufacturer says. The lamp operates at 29 W, offers an 81+ CRI, and is TCLP...

UVC emitters. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... UVC emitters provide continuous, non-chemical cleaning of ducts and other HYAC surfaces. The patented ultraviolet devices come in five tube lengths (16, 20, 24, 30, and 36 in.) to fit most ductwork applications. The UVC emitter is installed by...

Air-cooled liquid chillers. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Air-cooled liquid chillers are available in capacities from 140 to 500 tons. The units are suitable for comfort cooling, industrial process cooling, and thermal storage. Energy efficiency, sound-level containment, and a small exterior footprint...

Workstation software. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Workstation software for the company's facility management system features enhanced graphics, increased folder-level security, expanded logging and database synchronization capabilities, support for SNMP protocol, WML wireless web technology,...

Compound chiller. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Compound chiller design uses two centrifugal compressors arranged in series, a technique long used in industrial-refrigeration applications. The result is a capability to handle high-head applications such as air-cooled condensing, brine...

Service entrance rated power transfer switch. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Service entrance rated power transfer switch includes utility-side overcurrent protection in one integrated power solution. The transfer switch meets all National Electric Code requirements for installation at a facility's main utility service...

LonWorks-based building automation systems. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... LonWorks-based building automation systems, which permit interoperability by linking the LonWorks-based equipment of different manufacturers, are explained in brochure. Also detailed is a system that makes it possible to integrate different...

Mobile gas turbine power units. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Mobile gas turbine power units in 4, 25, and 50-MAY sizes are configured as single trailer (4 MW) and multi-trailer systems (25 and 50-MW). With 50% less time required to obtain transportation permits, a unit can be easily moved over highways....

Control enclosure. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Control enclosure simplifies maintenance, reduces field service time, and enhances expandability, the manufacturer says. The device utilizes IEC standard parts, which are readily available from electrical distributors and generally cost less....

Low-profile electronic linear fluorescent ballasts. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Low-profile electronic linear fluorescent ballasts are detailed in literature. Design enhancements, says the manufacturer, have reduced the overall dimensions of the ballast can by 45%. The new literature provides easy-to-understand...

Track lighting luminaires. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Track lighting luminaires are designed around ceramic arc metal halide (CAMH) lamps and feature a modular ballast/luminaire format that reduces luminaire size while maximizing versatility. The series includes spotlight, flood/wall wash, and...

Infrared thermometer. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Infrared thermometer may be used for measuring surface temperatures of rotating, hard-to-reach, electrically live, or dangerously hot targets. The device has the ability to take a temperature reading in less than one second. Objects are...

Modular outdoor air conditioning system (MOACS). (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Modular outdoor air conditioning system (MOACS) offers flexible energy-saving systems for humidity control. These pre-engineered, assembled, and tested systems employ heating coils, cooling coils, and multi-circuited integral or remote...

Input-output modules. (Products Literature & Services).
October 1, 2002... Input-output modules for supermarket control applications can be mounted on DIN rail or on any flat surface. Echelon communications between modules and power are carried by gold-plated contacts protected by interlocking connectors. The...

California chips away at crisis contracts. (News).(officials meet with power suppliers to renegotiate more facobral power supply contract terms)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC -- California officials, unhappy with the terms of long-term power supply contracts signed during the state's electricity crisis, met with power suppliers here August 28 in a continuing effort to renegotiate more favorable terms....

California utilities combat state's solar-incentive plan. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- California's net-metering law, which supporters say may have been one of the few success stories in the state's recent energy disarray, is under attack in the state legislature barely a year after it was passed. ...

EU 'sells out,' U.S. wins in Johannesburg. (News).(media sources report US wins in negotiations at United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Various media sources reported that the United States had won in negotiations at the 10-day United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development held in August in Johannesberg, South Africa. The Independent, a London newspaper, accused...

Former Enron official pleads guilty. (News).(Michael Kopper pleads guilty to 2 felony counts of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC -- Former Enron executive Michael Kopper pleaded guilty August 21 to two felony counts of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his part in creating partnerships that hid millions of dollars in debt. His was...

Officials ponder buying Portland General Electric. (News).(Clackamas County officials look at possible public purchase of Portland General Electric)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... PORTLAND, OR -- Clackamas County officials are looking at the possible public purchase of Portland General Electric (PGE), the Oregonian reports. Promoters of the plan want Clackamas and five other counties to jointly form Willamette...

ISO New England chief says RTO will bring significant benefits. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... QUEBEC CITY, QC -- A Northeast energy market proposed by ISO New England and New York ISO would bring significant long-term benefits to the region, said ISO New England Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Gordon van Welie in a speech...

ASHRAE 90.1-1999 referenced in federal energy policy act. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... ATLANTA, GA -- States must now certify that their building codes meet the requirements in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) 1999 energy conservation standard, under a ruling issued by the...

Study finds industrial boilers a candidate for fuel savings. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... CHICAGO, IL -- A report released August 28th by the Delta Institute concluded that industrial plants, schools, hospitals, and other facilities can both lower fuel usage and cut their emissions by making simple changes in operations. The...

Degree days for selected cities. (Marketplace).(cooling degree days for August 2002)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities August Monthly Monthly Deviation Monthly Deviation City Total from Norm from Last Year Atlanta 477 71 43 Baltimore...

Spot market gas: posted prices. (Marketplace).(September 2002 vs August 2002 and September 2001)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Spot Market Gas: Posted Prices September prices represent estimates of median prices for one-month spot transactions. Prices are not offers. Source: Dynegry Inc. Pipeline Sept-01 Aug-02 Sept-02 ANR,...

Electricity price comparison. (Marketplace).(breakeven rates for six utilities)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Electricity Price Comparison Large Office (150,000 [ft.sup.2]) Breakeven Rates ($/kWh) 1st Q Apr ...

Gas price comparison. (Marketplace).(breakeven rates for six utilities)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Gas Price Comparison Large Office (150,000 [ft.sup.2]) Breakeven Rates ($/therm) 1st Q Apr May Jun 2nd Q ...

Ranking of electricity prices commercial. (Marketplace).(top 170 utilities)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Ranking of Electricity Prices Commercial Rank Cts/kWh ST UTILITY %Total kWh 1 19.35 HI Hawaii Electric Light Co, Inc. 0.0792% 2 18.73 RI Block Island Power Co. 0.0007% 3...

Weather hedging: Chicago mercantile exchange weather futures prices. (Marketplace).(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices Each Degree Day valued at $100 per contract Cooling Deegree Days Heating Degree Days Location Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec...

Ranking of gas utility prices by state commercial. (Marketplace).(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Ranking of Gas Utility Prices By State Commercial Rank State Price/Mcf 1 Hawaii $17.24 2 District of Columbia $10.53 3 Maryland $10.13 4 Rhode Island ...