Energy User News articles from September 2002

Energy User News archives from September 2002

Regulators propose standard design to untangle electricity markets.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) proposal for reorganizing the nation's wholesale electricity market has been called both a watershed event and a power grab, a measure of the divergence of opinion on the matter. Those in...

State attorneys general challenge Bush on climate.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... In a letter dated July 17, 2002, attorneys general from 11 states challenged Bush administration policies on climate change, calling them inconsistent with a climate change report released by the U.S. Department of State in May 2002. The result...

U.S. Natural Gas Imports by Country (2001). (EUN Load Profile).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... U.S. Natural Gas Imports by Country (2001) Canada 93.81% Other 6.19% Mexico 0.26% Algeria 1.62% Australia 0.06% Nigeria 0.95% Qatar 0.57% Trinidad 2.44% Other 0.30% Note:...

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, responding to a power plant transformer explosion and fire that caused blackouts in lower Manhattan, said the city needs more power plants to meet the area's electricity need. State regulators have approved...

Comverge, Inc. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Comverge, Inc., a subsidiary of Data Systems & Software Inc., Florham, NJ, has been granted provisional certification to act as a meter data service provider (MDSP) and to participate in load curtailment and other related energy management...

Clarus Energy Corp. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Clarus Energy Corp. has teamed with Hunt Power, L.P., to form a new partnership called Clarus Energy Partners, L.P. The partnership provides electricity and thermal energy under long-term supply contracts using dedicated, on-site power...

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of columbia. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on July 12 ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) did not have the authority to prevent nine electric companies belonging the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland...

Alaska State Sen. John Torgerson. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Alaska State Sen. John Torgerson, citing a soon-to-be-released Cambridge Energy Research Associates study, said the worst-case and also most likely scenario is that North Slope natural gas would not enter the market until after 2020. A month...

U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said on June 27 that the Bush administration was not planning to ask Congress to further deregulate the American electricity market, but would seek, stiffer penalties for firms that acted unlawfully....

Southern Co. (EUN Ticker).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Southern Co., parent of Georgia Power Co., entered the natural gas business July 19 when the state Public Service Commission approved its acquisition of NewPower Holdings' Georgia natural gas operations. NewPower was an Enron-founded energy...

EUN calendar.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... SEPTEMBER 29-30 Codes Expo 2002. Fort Worth, TX. Building Officials and Code Administrators International. For more information, contact BOCAI: (800) 214-4321 or visit: www.bocai.org 29-October 2 EEI National Accounts Workshop, Disney...

Major Toranto show highlights business practices: three-day program aimed at boosting products. (News).(Brief Article)
September 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. The show...

Dynegy sells pipeline that it recently won. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... HOUSTON, TX--Dynegy Inc. is selling a natural gas pipeline, which it grabbed from Enron Corp. just months ago, to MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. for $928 million in cash, according to an Associated Press story. The company had been trying...

Texas deregulation is OK, PUC says. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... ODESSA, TX--Despite some disagreement within the ranks, the Texas deregulated electric utility market is just fine, a member of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas says. State Rep. Steve Wolens, co-chair of the joint committee on...

Commission orders overhaul of California ISO. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--The governing board of the California Independent System Operator (CA-ISO) was found to be in violation of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) orders, insufficiently independent, and hampering efforts to implement...

Pew report says energy policy and climate objectives are not necessarily at odds. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--There is range of feasible near-term "climate-friendly" energy policy options that can satisfy traditional U.S. energy policy objectives while reducing future U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, says a report released July 24 by the...

AEE announces executive energy briefing. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... ATLANTA, GA--Energy User News, the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), and Florida Power will be holding a one-day energy briefing for energy executives on November 19th at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention in Orlando, FL. The event is...

Energy traders battered by falling stock prices. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... NEW YORK, NY--Rocked by trading scandals and questionable accounting, energy company stocks have fallen precipitously and the wholesale energy trading business has been devastated. Shares in energy trading firms collapsed in July amid concerns...

State attorneys general v. everyone: do serious people really disagree about climate change? (Editorial).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... President George W. Bush recently received a letter signed by the state attorneys general (SAGs) of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging him to...

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow: it'll soon be here. (Environmental Policies).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... As John Fetters points out in his article on fuel cells in this issue (page 10), Jules Verne's idea of extracting energy from water must have seemed straight out of science fiction when he suggested it in 1870. But it wasn't merely a...

Energy management practices provide manufacturing advantage: Benchmark against best-in-class companies.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... While many companies have initiated some form of energy management program, only the best-in-class (BIC) have effectively integrated an energy management process (EMP) throughout their operations. These top-performing companies continually...

Focus on energy outsourcing: do what you do best and outsource the rest.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... "Do what you do best and outsource the rest," wrote management guru Tom Peters. Many successful companies live by this tenet day in and day out, outsourcing professional services such as accounting, legal matters, risk management, and more....

Rightsizing the facility is a big challenge. (Taking the Data Center Power and Cooling Challenge).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The computing world is being squeezed into smaller and smaller spaces. Technological advancement in almost any type of technology product such as calculators, desktops, and phones means reduced size. At the same time, the market values...

Harried energy managers need help. (Changes in the Utility Industry Increase Energy Concerns).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Over the last decade, the utility industry experienced tremendous upheaval, as deregulation and technological advances changed the way companies and consumers purchase power. As new levels of complexity emerge, commercial customers are quickly...

JELD-WEN finds facility intelligence opens doors to energy savings. (Changes in the Utility Industry Increase Energy Concerns).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Starting out as a single Oregon millwork plant in 1960, JELD-WEN has grown into one of the world's largest manufacturers of doors, windows, millwork, and specialty wood products. When the company saw a chance to save on its sizeable energy...

ASF site benefits from multi-drives: drives provide a seamless solution for fabric manufacturer. (Case Studies).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... When American Synthetic Fiber (ASF) planned construction of a new 240,000 square-foot fiber extrusion and non-woven fabric production facility in Pendergrass, GA, two-years ago, managers focused on a singular objective: maximizing up time. ...

Lighting control system. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Lighting control system provides energy-efficient lighting circuit power reduction technology and real-time remote or local access via the Internet, as well as monitoring and energy cost-savings verification. The systems consists of a lighting...

Three-phase UPS. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Three-phase UPS can protect up to 300 industrial servers against damaging power events. Scalable architecture allows users to purchase only the power they need to protect process control and other industrial computing processes and to scale up...

Lighting audit software. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Lighting audit software for handheld computers such as the Compaq iPAQ is easy, comprehensive, and clutter-free, the developer says. Field audit data can be rapidly "tapped" into a Microsoft Access database format for subsequent analysis. Its...

Frequency converters. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Frequency converters in 3 and 4-kVA capacities utilize the manufactuer's patented regenerative on-line inverter technology. These products complement the 1, 1.5, and 2-kVA models previously introduced. The 3 and 4-kVA products can be configured...

Automatic transfer switch control system (ATS). (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Automatic transfer switch control system (ATS) with power monitoring is designed as a performance upgrade of the company's Model 2000 automatic transfer control. The system provides the capability to control all operational functions of the...

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS). (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) product family provides power protection for an array of mission critical applications, ranging from health care facilities and financial institutions to industrial manufacturing plants and...

Rotary uninterruptible power supply. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Rotary uninterruptible power supply that is designed to provide 12 s ride-through without batteries for power line sags, swells, and outages is detailed in brochure. Models are offered with ratings from 315 to 2200 kVA with operating voltage...

Digital static transfer switch (DSTS). (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Digital static transfer switch (DSTS), which provides instantaneous power transfers between two or more power sources, is detailed in brochure. Designed for utilities, service entrances of commercial and industrial facilities, and companies...

High-impedance bus differential relay. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... High-impedance bus differential relay provides monitoring, control, and protection while its high-impedance differential elements provide fast tripping for in-zone faults and greater security during heavy through-faults and current transformer...

Digital master control. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Digital master control provides increased functionality and reliability in backup power systems with paralleled generator sets and switchgear used at larger telecommunications installations, large office complexes, or industrial sites, the...

Power quality products. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Power quality products for industrial, commercial, and residential applications are detailed in catalog that includes specifications and rating information on the company's complete line of panel-mounted, wired-in, plug-in, and communication...

Generator sets. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Generator sets and power-management systems are trailer-mounted and self-contained. The self-regulated generator is powered by a four-stroke turbocharged diesel engine and can provide prime or standby power with paralleling capabilities for up...

Uninterruptible power system (UPS). (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Uninterrupuble power system (UPS) for industrial applications is a true, double-conversion online UPS with advanced features and functionality to deliver high nines power to computerized process controls, electric utilities, manufacturing...

Web-based software suite. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Web-based software suite allows users to profile their energy use or other equipment parameters to manage their enterprise. Also available is the first Java application control engine (JACE-401) with on-board I/0, the developer says. Together...

UPS power calculator. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... UPS power calculator, a slide chart with conversion scales for electric power and heat, is designed to help engineers, plant managers, contractors, and facility managers select UPS systems and precision air conditioning. The calculator is...

Automated switching systems. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Automated switching systems provide an alternative for automating overhead distribution feeders on systems through 25 kV. These systems feature a switch with new ratings and heightened performance, combined with a cost-effective operator and...

Transfer-switches and peak-shaving equipment. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Transfer-switches and peak-shaving equipment are detailed in brochure that describes the features, versatility, and flexibility of the equipment, which protects facilities with standby power for critical applications and gives managers the...

Air handlers. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Air handlers are available with optional factory-mounted starters and variable frequency drives to reduce field installation time and cost. The factory-tested components help maximize operating efficiency during start-up and operation over a...

High-bay occupancy sensor. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... High-bay occupancy sensor is designed to control lights in high-mount applications such as warehouses. Featuring a lens that provides coverage from a wide range of mounting heights the passive infrared sensor turns lights on and off-based on...

TRIAC-based fan control. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... TRIAC-based fan control is designed for the HVAC, electronics, and industrial controls markets. It can be used to automatically control nearly any single-phase ac fan, including equipment cooling fans, ceiling fans, exhaust ventilators, duct...

Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries offer superior performance while occupying less space than conventional stand-by power batteries, the manufacturer says. The high-rate-discharge batteries are ideal for Uninterruptible power supply...

Input-output modules. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 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...

Multipurpose digital light meter. (Power and Reliability Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Multipurpose digital light meter tips the scale at only one pound and easily slips into a pocket or holster since it is barely 2-1/2 in. wide and under 8 in. long. The meter is suited for verifying plant and office lighting to meet workplace...

Illinois' first commercial wind farm planned. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... CHICAGO--ComEd, Illinois Wind Energy (IWE), and Tomen Power Corporation (TPC) announced plans for creating the first commercial wind farm in Illinois on June 26. The Crescent Ridge wind energy project will become one of the largest wind farms...

ASHRAE approves building sustainability position statement at annual meeting. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... HONOLULU--Measures to provide safe, healthy, and comfortable indoor environments while limiting their impact on natural resources are outlined in a new position statement from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning...

FuelCell Energy receives approval to advance coal gasification demonstration. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... DANBURY, CT--FuelCell Energy, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of fuel cell power plants, has received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to advance the demonstration of a 2-megawtt (MW)...

Wind farms get a boost from BPA. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... PORTLAND, OR--The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced it plans to adopt a rate proposal designed to encourage development and operation of wind turbines by freeing wind generators from a penalty when they fail to deliver power as...

GM to market fuel cells for emergency backup. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The world's largest automaker announced that it will enter the multi-billion dollar backup power systems market by 2004 by selling stationary fuel cells to businesses that depend on a reliable supply of energy. General Motors hasn't given...

EPA orders power plant to reduce water intake. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... SOMERSET, MA--The U.S. EPA announced July 22 that Pacific Gas & Electric's Brayton Point power plant must reduce its water withdrawal from Mount Hope Bay by 94% and its annual heat discharge by 96% to comply with the Clean Water Act. The order...

RKS survey shows new interest in on-site generation. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... NORTH SALEM, NY--The latest survey of U.S. businesses conducted by RKS Research & Consulting points to increasing demand for improved power quality and reliability for energy-intensive enterprises, heightened by the actual financial and...

Use of weather risk derivatives seen growing. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... HAUPPAUGE, NY--R.J. Rudden Associates, Inc. (Rudden) announced that its research led it to conclude that utilization of financial weather risk management instruments in the U.S. energy and public utility sectors are at an all time high. "Our...

Engineers boost hydrogen production. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Hydrogen fuel cells could eventually get their fuel from wastewater treatment plants, say Penn State environmental engineers. Dr. Bruce Logan, professor of environmental engineering, and his research group have shown they can boost hydrogen...

Houston group plans to fight heat island effect. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... HOUSTON, TX--The power of solar energy is all too apparent in today's cities, where dark roofs, asphalt, concrete, and other materials inadvertently work together to make the cities function as giant solar collectors. The resulting "heat...

Businesses build corporate markets for Green Power. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA, PA--Four leading U.S. companies announced clean energy projects on June 11th as part of the Green Power Market Development Group, a commercial and industrial partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. ...

Center for nanosciences to open at Brookhaven Lab. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... UPTON, NY--Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced that the department plans to proceed with a center for nanoscale science research at its Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island. Scientists will explore how to use nanoscience...

Supertex offers off-line integrated circuit. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... SUNNYVALE, CA--White LEDs will replace incandescent and fluorescent solutions in home, commercial, and industrial applications in the near future, predicts Richard E. Siegel, executive vice president of Supertex Inc. To that end, Supertex,...

Environmental risks could reduce shareholder value of oil and gas companies. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--Shareholders in leading oil and gas companies could see losses of more than 6% of their investments due to prospective actions to curb climate change and growing constraints on access to energy reserves, warns a report from the...

Sector weakness could threaten power supplies. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--Recent financial reverses, including stock price declines and credit downgrades, could discourage energy companies from investing in much-needed new generating capacity and transmission infrastructure, industry officials told a...

Hotels, industrial plants join Energy Star program. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently added hotels to its Energy Star performance rating program. EPA also has developed and is testing the first performance indicator in the industrial sector--this one for...

Microturbine shipments fail to meet expectations. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... MADISON, WI--Shipments of microturbines--high--speed, gas-fired generators in the 30 to 300 kilowatt size range-grew 15% in 2001 to approximately 1400 units, according to a study by Primen, an energy market intelligence company and EPRI...

Lighting efficiency seminar offered on-line. (News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... ATLANTA, GA--The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) has teamed up with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Engineering Professional Development Department to offer Fundamentals of Lighting Efficiency, previously offered as a live seminar, as...

Degree Days for Selected Cities. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities July Monthly Monthly Deviation Monthly Deviation City Total from Norm from Last year Altanta 485 57 57 Baltimore ...

Spot Market Gas: Posted Prices. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Spot Market Gas: Posted Prices August prices represent estimates of median prices for one-month spot transactions. Prices are not offers Source: Dynegy Inc. Pipeline Aug-01 Jul-02 Aug-02 ANR, LA ...

Electricity & Gas Price Comparison. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Electricity Price Comparison Breakeven Rates ($/kWh) Jan Feb Mar Large Office (150,000 [ft.sup.2]) Boston Edison Company (Boston, MA) 0.5547 0.5548 0.4636...

Ranking of Electricity Prices Industrial. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Ranking of Electricity Prices Industrial Rank Cts/kWh ST UTILITY %Total kWh 1 15.82 HI Maul electric Co., Ltd 0.110% 2 15.73 HI Hawaii Electric Light Co., Inc 0.065% 3 ...

Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Weather Hedging: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Weather Futures Prices Each Degree Day valued at $100 per contract Cooling Degree Days HDDs Location July Aug Sep Oct ...

Ranking of Gas Utility Prices by State Industrial. (Marketplace: Statistics, Trends and Energy Data).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Ranking of Gas Utility Prices By States Industrial Rank State Price/Mcf 1 Hawii $9.85 2 Idaho $8.07 3 Navada $7.85 4 Pennsylvania $7.50 5...

Senior executives and directors. (A Special Report for Senior Executives).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The collapse of Enron, debate over the president's energy and global warming policies, and California's ongoing energy crisis have dominated the media for months. Siemens believes that these stories, while important nationally, ultimately serve...

Capital preservation and investment. (A Special Report for Senior Executives).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Most CFOs would invest in a new production machine that generates more revenue before they would replace an old chiller. Is that always the smart move? Senior management of Fortune 500 companies, health care facilities, and colleges and...

The 'Energy Factor': new rewards for organizations that manage energy strategically. (A Special Report for Senior Executives).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... More than ever, energy is a key to the performance of today's organization. Its cost, reliability, use, and associated risk volatility all affect virtually every facet of enterprise performance, including profitability, productivity, quality,...