Topic: Consumer news (5)
Pennsylvania Governor Signs Bill Establishing US $650 Million Energy Fund
Heat of Battle - Utilities Struggle with Sales versus Savings
"Utilities are now in the heat of battle. While they would like to maximize their sales, they must now persuade their customers to save energy. It's a quest that will help defer investments in expensive and contentious infrastructure and in doing so, prevent the release of some harmful emissions.
Instead of investing millions in power plants to meet the 100 or so hours a year when energy demand is highest, utilities are turning to their customers to reduce energy usage...."
'Green' cities pop up around the globe
Duke Energy defends practices in hearing
"Critics: Conservation efforts fall short."
Background information on this story: Duke Energy is seeking approval from the NC Utilities Commission for several energy efficiency programs, some including repackaging of old approaches to load shifting and curtailment, while some of their proposals hinge on a new regulatory approach to cost recovery for real energy conservation measures. Their requested approach to cost recovery for these energy efficiency efforts, generally referred to as "demand side management," is highly unconventional in the amount of money Duke is asking to be paid and will likely not result in the most cost effective approach for NC to realize its vast potential to become more efficient in our electricity generation, delivery and use.
Progress Energy Rates Could Leap 16%
"Progress Energy asked state regulators Friday to approve a whopper of a rate increase. The Raleigh electric utility wants to raise rates by 16.2 percent to pay for the soaring cost of fuel needed to operate power plants. It is the company's largest request for fuel costs in at least a quarter-century. The company is being hit by the same runup in worldwide energy costs that is driving up the cost of gasoline, diesel and natural gas. The Progress Energy rate increase would raise the typical monthly residential bill from about $97 to nearly $113 for a household that uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity."
