Topic: Progress Energy (5)
Heat of Battle - Utilities Struggle with Sales versus Savings
Thursday July 3, 2008 1:43 PM
http://www.energycentral.com/centers/energybiz/ebi_list.cfm
"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...."
"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...."
Progress Energy Rates Could Leap 16%
Saturday June 21, 2008 12:54 PM
http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/1099481.html
"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."
"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."
Electric Cars Will Need Juice
Tuesday June 10, 2008 10:01 AM
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1098291.html
"With gasoline prices orbiting in the stratosphere, Jim Bartlett relies on a cheaper alternative to fuel his pickup truck: a standard wall outlet. Bartlett's truck is powered by electricity, not gasoline. Bartlett, a mechanical engineer who lives in Cary, juices up his truck by plugging in."
"With gasoline prices orbiting in the stratosphere, Jim Bartlett relies on a cheaper alternative to fuel his pickup truck: a standard wall outlet. Bartlett's truck is powered by electricity, not gasoline. Bartlett, a mechanical engineer who lives in Cary, juices up his truck by plugging in."
NC Bill Aims to Outlaw Coal Mined by Removing Mountaintops
Wednesday May 28, 2008 4:26 PM
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/wednesday/business/story/1087504.html
"Half the coal burned by Progress Energy's and Duke Energy's power plants would become illegal in North Carolina under legislation proposed Tuesday by state Rep. Pricey Harrison. The Guilford County Democrat wants to outlaw importation of coal that has been extracted by a controversial form of strip mining known as mountaintop removal. The process involves blowing up several hundred feet of mountaintop to expose embedded veins of coal."
...
"Progress and Duke import nearly all their coal from Appalachian coal mines. About half the coal -- about 15 million tons a year -- comes from mountaintop removal, while the rest comes from underground coal mines. North Carolina is one of the nation's top users of mountaintop coal."
...
"But coal prices have doubled in the past year, and Progress and Duke are seeking rate increases to pass costs on to their customers. Progress recently asked for a 6 percent rate increase in South Carolina and will file a request soon with state regulators in North Carolina. Duke is seeking a 4 percent increase. Both companies say worldwide demand for coal is the main driver of the price increases."
"Half the coal burned by Progress Energy's and Duke Energy's power plants would become illegal in North Carolina under legislation proposed Tuesday by state Rep. Pricey Harrison. The Guilford County Democrat wants to outlaw importation of coal that has been extracted by a controversial form of strip mining known as mountaintop removal. The process involves blowing up several hundred feet of mountaintop to expose embedded veins of coal."
...
"Progress and Duke import nearly all their coal from Appalachian coal mines. About half the coal -- about 15 million tons a year -- comes from mountaintop removal, while the rest comes from underground coal mines. North Carolina is one of the nation's top users of mountaintop coal."
...
"But coal prices have doubled in the past year, and Progress and Duke are seeking rate increases to pass costs on to their customers. Progress recently asked for a 6 percent rate increase in South Carolina and will file a request soon with state regulators in North Carolina. Duke is seeking a 4 percent increase. Both companies say worldwide demand for coal is the main driver of the price increases."
Progress Hints at 6 Percent Rate Jump
Friday May 2, 2008 1:28 PM
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1057930.html
"Soaring energy prices this year will push a typical Progress Energy household's monthly power bill past the $100 mark for the first time.
"Soaring energy prices this year will push a typical Progress Energy household's monthly power bill past the $100 mark for the first time.
The Raleigh electric utility is seeking a 6 percent rate increase in South Carolina to cover rising fuel costs and is expected to make a similar request in this state in June."
