Energy User News articles from September 1986

Energy User News archives from September 1986

Department store tests reflectors, then retrofits entire chain. (Energy Management in Retail Operations)
September 29, 1986... Dept. Store Tests Reflectors, Then Retrofits Entire Chain Following a successful test installation of fluorescent fixture reflectors manufactured by Maximum Technology Inc., Brisbane, Calif., at a local store, Gottschalks Inc., a...

Five 60 kw Tecogen units chosen in Calif. cogen job.
September 29, 1986... Five 60 Kw Tecogen Units Chosen in Calif. Cogen Job A $723,000 cogeneration project involving five 60 kw packaged units and four 12.5 ton absorbtion chillers under construction at the Santa Cruz Government Center and Detention Facility...

Honeywell Ltd. looks to small Canadian mfr. for new system; Walker EMS meets govt. specs. (product announcement)
September 29, 1986... Honeywell Ltd. Looks to Small Canadian Mfr. for New System Honeywell Ltd. here, the Canadian marketing subsidiary of Honeywell Inc., has begun marketing a direct digital control energy management system for commercial buildings that is...

"World's largest" TES system ready to cool Chicago mall. (ice-building thermal storage system) (Energy Management in Retail Operations)
September 29, 1986... World's Largest' TES System Ready To Cool Chicago Mall What is apparently the largest ice-building thermal storage system in the world, located at the 4.15 million square foot Merchandise Mart here, is expectd to start full-time operation...

Wendy's signs bulk buy for carriage gas at 66 sites.
September 29, 1986... Wendy's Signs Bulk Buy for Carriage Gas At 66 Sites Pooling the natural gas requirements of 66 restaurants in Ohio has cut the price of gas by 35 percent for Wendy's International Inc., according to the company's energy manager, Richard...

Gov't replaces decrepit units with Solidyne EMS. (Dallas)
September 29, 1986... Gov't Replaces Decrepit Units With Solidyne EMS Officials for the U.S. General Services Administration have finished installing five Micromizer III EMS, manufactured by Solidyne Corp., Schaumburg, Ill., at a 1.4 million square foot office...

Stored heat in concrete cuts warehouse gas costs.
September 29, 1986... Stored Heat in Concrete Cuts Warehouse Gas Costs By taking advantage of the thermal retention properties of liquid concrete stored in a local warehouse, a contractor here has designed a system that has reduced the facility's heating costs...

Cheap energy seen aid to productivity. (according to Harvard economist quoted in Energy Journal)
September 29, 1986... Cheap Energy Seen Aid to Productivity High energy prices put a major brake on economic growth in the decade following 1973, but the experience has provided lessons likely to make future price shifts less disruptive, a Harvard analyst says....

D.C. gas carriage accepted in principle. (Washington Gas Light Co. files transportation tariff)
September 29, 1986... D.C. Gas Carriage Accepted in Principle The filing of a gas transportation tariff by Washington Gas Light Co. has ended a lawsuit demanding carriage that had been filed by seven hospitals. Two obstacles remain, however, before...

Gas rate hike plan spares Calif. mfrs. (Southern California Gas Co. to raise domestic rates)
September 29, 1986... Gas Rate Hike Plan Spares Calif. Mfrs. The Southern California Gas Co. wants to spare industrial and commercial firms from the effects of a proposed rate hike averaging 7.8 percent overall. Under the plan, households would bear the...

Mfrs. take extra dose of interruptibility. (to obtain lower rates)
September 29, 1986... Mfrs. Take Extra Dose of Interruptiblity Two ferroalloy producers will be paying lower bills next year to Alabama Power Co. because they increased the number of hours subject to service interruptions by the utility. Alabama Power,...

No rebound seen for U.S. oil output. (Conoco forecast)
September 29, 1986... No Rebound Seen for U.S. Oil Output Though oil prices are likely to hit $45 per barrel by 2000, oil production levels in the U.S. and in some other non-OPEC countries will never fully recover from the mid-1980s price collapse, according to...

N.Y. to Con Ed: cut wheeling rate. (Consolidated Edison Co.)
September 29, 1986... N.Y. to Con Ed: Cut Wheeling Rate A Public Service Commission decision that lowers the wheeling rate charged by Con Edison will provide $1.6 million in annual savings for Shearson Lehman Brothers and General Motors Corp. The two...

NGPL accepting firm carriage bids. (Natural Gas Pipeline Co.)
September 29, 1986... NGPL Accepting Firm Carriage Bids Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, which self-implemented Order 436 earlier this month, has announced that it will now begin accepting applications for firm transportation services. NGPL has been...

Right to resell unused pipeline capacity sought.
September 29, 1986... Right to Resell Unused Pipeline Capacity Sought If the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves a proposal submitted last week to allow gas marketers to contract for unused pipeline capacity, pool it into useful transportation...

Gas transportation up sharply in '86: Ingaa. (Interstate Natural Gas Association of America survey)
September 29, 1986... Gas Transportation Up Sharply in '86: Ingaa The goal of converting the nation's interstate natural gas pipeline network into primarily a transmission --rather than sales-- system was significantly advanced in the second quarter of 1986...

Elec. users told: probe wheeling, cogen. (Electricity Consumers Resource Council recommendations)
September 29, 1986... Elec. Users Told: Probe Wheeling, Cogen. Although open access to the nation's electricity transmission grid may not be right around the corner, it could become a reality within five years, users learned last week at a conference on...

Tax package clarifies transition rules. (gives expiration dates for investment tax credits, energy credits)
September 29, 1986... Tax Package Clarifies Transition Rules The House of Representatives, by a wide margin, last week approved tax reform measures that will have serious consequences for cogenerators and may raise electric rates. The Senate is expected to...

User to recoup HVAC project cost in rent hike.
September 22, 1986... User to Recoup HVAC Project Cost in Rent Hike LANCASTER, Pa. -- Work begins today on a series of conservation measures at the Old Hickory Townhouses here in which the owner, Boyd/Wilson Management Co., is investing $128,000 and writing off...

Heat exchangers, generators save USAF $355K. (Kelly Air Force Base, Texas)
September 22, 1986... Heat Exchangers, Generators to Save USAF $355K SAN ANTONIO, texas -- The Kelly Air Force Base here is installing four heat exchangers and a 2,400 kilowatt (kw) electric generating system that are expected to result in an annual reduction of...

Asbestos, public util. bills before House. (asbestos information reporting; holding company investments in cogeneration)
September 22, 1986... Asbestos, Public. Util. Bills Before House WASHINGTON--The House Energy and Commerce Committee favorably reported two bills of interest to energy users to the full House of Representatives last week. H.R. 5369, the Asbestos...

Proxmire, Humphrey push passage of new acid rain bill. (would effect boiler emissions)
September 22, 1986... Proxmire, Humphrey Push Passage of New Acid Rain Bill WASHINGTON--A new acid rain bill has been introduced in Congress by Sens. William Proximire (D-Wisc.) and Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.) in an attempt to come up with a proposal that can pass...

Dow to invest in 1,300-Mw converted N-plant. (Dow Chemical planning gas-fired cogeneration plant)
September 22, 1986... Dow to Invest in 1,300-Mw Converted N-Plant MIDLAND, Mich. -- Dow Chemical Co., based here, which once expected to take large amounts of energy from a nearby nuclear plant that was never finished, has agreed to cosponsor a gas-fired...

Foreigners supply high-Btu goods. (U.S. importing more energy-intensive manufactures)
September 22, 1986... Foreigners Supply High-Btu Goods WASHINGTON -- The suspicion that some of the apparent improvement in U.S. industrial energy efficiency comes from the growing use of imported goods is borne out by some government figures about to be...

Major suppliers of industrial process controls. (directory)
September 22, 1986... Major Suppliers of Industrial Process Controls Accuray Corp., 650 Ackerman, Columbus, Ohio 43202 Allen-Bradley Co., Industrial Computer Group, 747 Alpha Drive, Highland Heights, Ohio 44143. American Auto-Matrix Inc., Industrial Control...

Elec. wheeling generates new interest. (government agencies initiate studies)
September 22, 1986... Elec. Wheeling Generates New Interest WASHINGTON -- Now that nondiscriminatory transportation is becoming an accepted fact in natural gas markets, regulators and utilities are turning their attention to a parallel service in electricity...

CACS repealed, found largely unworkable. (Commercial and Apartment Conservation Service)
September 22, 1986... CACS Repealed, Found Largely Unworkable WASHINGTON -- Described by the Department of Energy and members of Congress as "overly prescriptive and marginally cost-effective," the Commercial and Apartment Conservation Service (CACS) was...

Iowa colleges join forces to buy gas, alter util. prices. (consortium of 23 colleges seeks contract carriage gas)
September 22, 1986... Iowa Colleges Join Forces to Buy Gas, Alter Util. Prices DES MOINES--Twenty-three Iowa colleges have teamed up to shop around for contract carriage gas and to advise one another in rate bargaining with utilities. Several hospitals...

Naruc bars industrials from gas transportation workshops. (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners)
September 22, 1986... Naruck Bars Industrials From Gas Transportation Workshops WASHINGTON--Industrial end users have been explicitly excluded from all but one of a series of one-day workshops that will examine the implications of the newly competitive natural...

Proprietary LANs dominant, users await standardization. (Technology Report: Industrial EMS)
September 22, 1986... Proprietary LANs Dominant, Users Await Standardization LOS ANGELES--With an industry standard local area network (LAN) still about two years down the road, users will continue to employ proprietary networks in factory process control and...

Util. questions savings claims of wire-coating aerosol spray.
September 22, 1986... Util. Questions Savings Claims Of Wire-Coating Aerosol Spray CHICAGO--An automobile dealer here claims to have reduced electricity costs by $22,000 a year after spraying electrical wiring entering junction boxes with a little-known aerosol...

Conn. cogen. applicants enter sudden-death playoff. (applicants told to submit new proposals)
September 22, 1986... Conn. Cogen. Applicants Enter Sudden-Death Playoff NEW BRITAIN-- Connecticut's Department of Public Utility Control, here, this month began evaluating more than 30 applications for cogeneration and small power licenses, determined to pare...

Seasonal resid price swings seen muted. (residual fuel oil)
September 15, 1986... Seasonal Resid Price Swings Seen Muted The seasonal swings in the price of residual fuel oil, which were very clear during the 1970s, have become too muted to be viewed as statistically significant, according to an Energy Information...

More users offered expansion discount. (Commonwealth Edison Co.; for using more electricity)
September 15, 1986... More Users Offered Expansion Discount Commonwealth Edison Co., which last year created a discount for expanded use of electricity, has proposed that medium-size users be permitted to apply. The current plan is aimed at the utility's...

Small-cogen. vendor wins rate cut. (metering rate reduction from utilities commission)
September 15, 1986... Small-Cogen. Vendor Wins Rate Cut Responding to a vendor's complaint that small cogenerators could not easily afford a monthly $75 metering charge, the California Public Utilities Commission last month cut the charge to $9.87 for...

Ailing tungsten refiner revived by cheap kwh. (plant can afford to reopen)
September 15, 1986... Ailing Tungsten Refiner Revived by Cheap Kwh A promise of electric power a slightly more than 1 cent per kwh has prompted a metals firm that shut its 47-year-old tungsten plant on Long Island to plan for a reopening in upstate Depew. ...

Computer Controls cuts price 40% on new DDC system. (energy management system) (product announcement)
September 15, 1986... Computer Controls Cuts Price 40% on New DDC System Computer Controls Corp. here has replaced its direct digital control (DDC), distributed System-III energy management system with a DDC, distributed system that costs 40 percent less in...

FERC extends section 7Cs for Southern; tightens rules. (renews Southern Natural Gas Co. license for self-help gas)
September 15, 1986... FERC Extends Section 7Cs For Southern; Tightens Rules In a last-minute order issued only hours before 43 transportation customers of Southern Natural Gas Co. would have lost self-help gas as a result of their controversial 7C certificates...

FUA repeal passes house; overall chances still unclear. (Fuel Use Act)
September 15, 1986... FUA Repeal Passes House; Overall Chances Still Unclear Users could find even fewer obstacles to burning gas as a boiler fuel, and lower gas prices, if H. R. 4669, a bill repealing the Fuel Use Act and incremental pricing that passed the...

Full steam ahead for elec.-intensive users, as oil, gas prices stall projects elsewhere. (Planning the 1987 capital budget)
September 15, 1986... Full Steam Ahead for Elec.-Intensive Users, As Oil, Gas Prices Stall Projects Elsewhere Since the late 1970s, energy conservation projects have been to some extent a routine part of most capital budgets. However, with the current plunge...

La. state corp. to fund univ. energy projects. (Louisiana Public Facility Authority)
September 15, 1986... La. State Corp. to Fund Univ. Energy Projects Faced with a severe tax shortfall from the recent recession in the oil industry and a legal limit on future borrowing, the state of Louisiana has created an independent corporation to fund...

Omaha util.'s study: gas heat cheaper than elec. (Omaha Public Power District)
September 15, 1986... Omaha Util.'s Study: Gas Heat Cheaper than Elec. In the process of selecting an HVAC system for its new headquarters here, officials for the Omaha Public Power District concluded that, in this area, gas heat is cheaper than heating with...

Controller cuts hotel hot water costs 33%-month. (water temperature controller)
September 15, 1986... Controller Cuts Hotel Hot Water Costs 33%/Month In its first month of operation, a Pro-Temp water temperature controller manufactured by Fluidmaster Inc., Anaheim, Calif., has cut domestic hot water costs at the Green Tree Marriott Hotel...

Calif. gas rate reform given price tag. (Department of General Services report on impact)
September 15, 1986... Calif. Gas Rate Reform Given Price Tag For a northern California hospital that spends $2.87 per million British thermal units for its gas, the impact of a statewide gas rate reform could mean either moderately lower or sharply higher...

Users protest Columbia system penalties. (gas transmission) (column)
September 15, 1986... Users Protest Columbia System Penalties End users who began transporting their own gas on the Columbia system's interstate natural gas pipelines now fear the deals could end up costing them more than conventional gas supplies if Columbia...

Alcoa opens talk to lower elec. rate. (discussions with New York Power Authority)
September 8, 1986... Alcoa Opens Talks To Lower Elec. Rate A plant here of Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) and the New York Power Authority are discussing Alcoa's request for lower charges on hydroelectric power purchased from the authority. The...

CEC scowls over near-large cogen. (California Energy Commission investigation)
September 8, 1986... CEC Scowls Over Near-Large Cogen. The staff of the California Energy Commission is considering action this week against six cogenerators and small power producers with equipment configurations that keep the owners barely outside commission...

Duke Power's industrial users see rates biased against them.
September 8, 1986... Duke Power's Industrial Users See Rates Biased Against Them The Carolina Utility Customers Association Inc. (Cuca), acting in a Duke Power Co. rate case that opened here last week, argued that the utility's industrial customers in North...

Idaho buyback rate cut by regulators. (for Utah Power and Light Co.)
September 8, 1986... Idaho Buyback Rate Cut by Regulators A cut in the buyback rates of Utah Power & Light Co. was approved recently by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The new 35-year contracts will offer cogenerators 4.4 cents per kwh of surplus...

New gas connector planned to wean util. from parent. (Columbia Gas of Ohio to construct intake links with pipelines)
September 8, 1986... New Gas Connector Planned To Wean Util. From Parent Columbia Gas of Ohio, which has been criticized for buying too much of its supply from corporate relatives, has agreed in principle to construct new intake links with pipelines--one with...

Consumption moves overseas. (energy-intensive goods now being manufactured outside the US) (column)
September 8, 1986... Consumption Moves Overseas The good news is that industrial energy users require 31 percent less energy than they did 10 years ago to produce an inflation-adjusted dollar's worth of product. The bad news is that the figure is...

Cibo testifies against strict emissions standards. (Council of Industrial Boiler Owners)
September 8, 1986... Cibo Testifies Against Strict Emissions Standards Proposed industrial boiler emissions standards would force boiler owners to install exorbitantly expensive scrubbers or limit their fuel sources, all for miniscule environmental...

What we mean by cost-of-service-based rates. (natural gas services)
September 8, 1986... What We Mean by Cost-Of-Service-Based Rates Competition requires choice. In a competitive natural gas market, choice means, for one thing, having alternative ways to obtain gas. Choice also means having a menu or profile of gas services...

Clam plant to save $685K-yr. with chillers.
September 8, 1986... Clam Plant Set to Save $685K/Yr. With Chillers As part of a $1.5 million shared savings program, American Original Foods, a clam processing company here, is switching from using liquid nitrogen in its freezing process to the use of two...

Miami Co. acquires rights to ECS products. (Standard Electric Fixture Co.; Energy Conservation Systems)
September 8, 1986... Miami Co. Acquires Rights to ECS Products Standard Electric Fixture Co. Inc. (Sefco) here has acquired rights to manufacture and sell current limiters and screw-in PL lamps formerly made by Energy Conservation Systems, an Arlington,...

Hawaii standby fee hurts hotel cogen. payback.
September 8, 1986... Hawaii Standby Fee Hurts Hotel Cogen. Payback A $300,000 hotel cogeneration system that was projected to have a 38-month payback now faces a 60-month payback on account of a controversial demand charge for standby power that the Hawaii...

MCC Powers drops effort to market shared tenant services.
September 8, 1986... MCC Powers Drops Effort to Market Shared Tenant Services In response to a perceived lack of user interest in the "single-supplier' approach to automation and telecommunications, MCC Powers, a major manufacturer of building controls located...

NGPL starts new 311 carriage; is brought into 436 fold. (Natural Gas Pipeline Co,; FERC regulations)
September 8, 1986... NGPL Starts New 311 Carriage; Is Brought Into 436 Fold As had been predicted, Natural Gas Pipeline Co. initiated new Section 311 natural gas transportation last week, a move that automatically brings all the pipeline's transactions under...

Falling gas prices skew savings projection for EMS installation.
September 8, 1986... Falling Gas Prices Skew Savings Projection for EMS Installation In a period of five months since signing a no-outlay, shared savings EMS installation contract for five municipal garages here, falling natural gas prices have cut expected...

Diamond, Maximum to sell reflective fixtures. (Diamond Energy Controls; Maximum Technology Inc.)
September 8, 1986... Diamond, Maximum to Sell Reflective Fixtures Two major manufacturers of fluorescent reflectors, Diamond Energy Controls, Laguna Hills, Calif., and Maximum Technology Inc., Brisbane, Calif., plan to introduce lines of standard-sized...

Util., mfr. opposition blocks Ill. program. (Illinois Commerce Commission weather-proofing program)
September 8, 1986... Util., Mfr. Opposition Blocks Ill. Program Opposition to a proposed $1.5 billion weatherization program, which would have raised rates to industrial customers of one utility over 4.5 percent, forced the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)...

Broker: nationwide 436 network will save billions. (savings from open access gas transportation)
September 1, 1986... Broker: Nationwide 436 Network Will Save Billions WASHINGTON--Implementing open access natural gas transportation on most major U.S. interstate pipelines will create a nationwide transportation network that will save users billions of...

NGPL said to consider opening lines to 436 gas carriage. (Natural Gas Pipeline Co. may allow open access gas transportation)
September 1, 1986... NGPL Said to Consider Opening Lines to 436 Gas Carriage WASHINGTON--Rumors are rife in the natural gas industry that Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America will open its lines to nondiscriminatory gas transportation in the very near future....

Small gas users offered growth incentive. (by Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.)
September 1, 1986... Small Gas Users Offered Growth Incentive SYRACUSE, N.Y.--Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. has proposed a five-year rate incentive to commercial gas customers who expand their consumption. Unlike most economic development rates, this one would...

State aides ambush PSE&G rate plan. (Public Service Electric and Gas Co. rates)
September 1, 1986... State Aides Ambush PSE&G Rate Plan NEWARK--Seeking a 12 percent rate hike to cover nuclear costs, Public Service Electric & Gas Co. has been hit with a commission staff proposal for a rate cut instead of an increase. The current...

Butler drops B8A; announces new eight-load system. (Butler Manufacturing Co. energy management systems) (product announcement)
September 1, 1986... Butler Drops B8A; Announces New Eight-Load System REDMOND, Wash.--The Controls Division of Butler Manufacturing Co. announced a new version of its eight-load B8A energy management system last week that has direct temperature control of up...

"Hybrid" chiller plants touted for users with high kw rates. (Technology Report: hvac fall update)
September 1, 1986... 'Hybrid' Chiller Plants Touted For Users With High Kw Rates ATLANTA--A simple but relatively unknown cooling strategy, employing both centrifugal and absorption chillers, can significantly reduce electric demand charges for users in...

PG&E plans new rates to discourage on-site elec. (on-site generation of electricity)
September 1, 1986... PG&E Plans New Rates To Discourage On-Site Elec. SAN FRANCISCO--The economics of on-site electricity generation will continue to tempt California industrial users even if the utility pays little or nothing for user-produced power entering...

Reconfigured pneumatics cut EMS bill.
September 1, 1986... Reconfigured Pneumatics Cut EMS Bill NORWALK, Calif. -- By adapting existing pneumatic signal controllers to emulate the function of transducers, a contractor was able to reduce the cost of replacing an EMS recently at the West L.A....

School installs elec. hvac to preserve "all-elec." discount.
September 1, 1986... School Installs Elec. HVAC to Preserve 'All-Elec.' Discount BYRON, Ill.--A combination of state laws and high demand charges made a $1.1 million ice storage/ground source heat pump HVAC system, currently under construction here, the most...

Transition rules still unresolved in tax reform. (for energy projects)
September 1, 1986... Transition Rules Still Unresolved in Tax Reform WASHINGTON--When Senate and House conferees reached a compromise on tax reform Aug. 16, many important issues for energy users were resolved, but crucial "transition rules" that will...

Stewart and Stevenson to sell M.A.N. packaged cogen. units.
September 1, 1986... Stewart and Stevenson to Sell M.A.N. Packaged Cogen. Units HOUSTON--Stewart and Stevenson Services Inc., a cogeneration engineering firm here, has been granted exclusive rights to distribute German-manufactured M.A.N. cogeneration systems...

Hvac-legionnaires' link debated after hosp. outbreak. (Legionnaires' disease reported at City of Hope National Medical Center)
September 1, 1986... HVAC-Legionnaires' Link Debated After Hosp. Outbreak DUARTE, Calif.--Officials at the City of Hope National Medical Center here are pointing the finger at the facility's cooling towers as the probable source of a recent outbreak of...

New solid state economizer sensor said to last 10 years. (Honeywell Inc. sensor) (product announcement)
September 1, 1986... New Solid State Economizer Sensor Said to Last 10 Years GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn -- The Energy Products Division of Honeywell Inc. has introduced a new solid state economizer sensor which is up to three times as accurate as electromechanical...

6-month payback expected on duel-fuel burner.
September 1, 1986... 6-Month Payback Expected on Dual-Fuel Burner PORTLAND, Ore.--To take advantage of cheap prices for No. 2 oil and to improve the overall efficiency of its boiler, Amalgamated Sugar Co. here replaced a 35-year-old burner with a new dual-fuel...

Leasing eyed as Fla. cogen. option. (Monsanto Co. considers lease-finance for cogeneration)
September 1, 1986... Cheap Fuel Brings Down Pa. Steam Costs HARRISBURG, Pa.--The Public Utility Commission has ratified rate cuts filed by three downtown steam systems to reflect falling fuel prices paid to fire the boilers. The affected systems are those...

Ice storage, cogen. to save hosp. $268K-yr.
September 1, 1986... Ice Storage, Cogen. to Save Hosp. $268K/Yr. POWAY, Calif.--By combining a thermal energy storage system (TES) and a 350 kw cogeneration unit, Pomerado Hospital here expects to cut its annual energy bill by about $268,000, despite a facility...

Cheap fuel brings down Pa. steam costs. (public utilities commission ratifies three steam-plant rate cuts)
September 1, 1986... Leasing Eyed as Fla. Cogen. Option PENSACOLA, Fla.--Monsanto Co., interested in installing cogeneration equipment at its plant here, has asked the Florida Public service Commission whether a lease-finance arrangement would be acceptable...