Friday, May 7, 2010

Progress seeks decrease for fuel and increase for energy efficiency

Columbia Regional Business Report | Columbia, SC: "If approved, the decrease will result in a monthly fuel-charge savings of $2.73 for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours.

The company also filed this week for an increase in the portion of customer bills used to pay for energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs.

If both changes are approved as requested, the average decrease would be about 1.7% for residential customers; 2.6% for commercial customers and about 4.3% for industrial customers. The net impact will be a reduction of $1.64 per month on a residential 1,000-kwh bill, or nearly $20 in savings over the next year.

The increase, an additional $1.09 per month for a residential customer using 1,000 kwh, reflects an increased number of efficiency programs and measures made available to S.C. customers in the past year."

SCANA appoints Chief Nuclear Officer

Columbia Regional Business Report | Columbia, SC:
"Jeff Archie was appointed senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for S.C. Electric & Gas Co. during SCANA Corp.’s board meeting Thursday in Columbia, SCANA announced."

Strapped residents blast SCE&G rates | Aiken Standard | Aiken, SC

Strapped residents blast SCE&G rates | Aiken Standard | Aiken, SC:
5/6/2010 9:20 PM
By MIKE GELLATLY
Staff writer
"More than a dozen people signed up to speak to the commission and offered several reasons why they think the rate increase should be denied."

McMaster, Duke settle river dispute - Local / Metro - TheState.com

McMaster, Duke settle river dispute - Local / Metro - TheState.com:
- sfretwell@thestate.com
"In a settlement filed Wednesday in South Carolina, Duke agreed to maintain a “continuous flow’’ of water in the Catawba River below Lake Wylie while also using equipment to improve oxygen levels below the dam Duke operates. Lake Wylie is near Rock Hill, just below the state line.
In return, McMaster has agreed to drop his opposition to a state permit Duke needs to continue operating federally licensed hydroelectric dams along the Catawba-Wateree river system."

SCANA giving customers a $25 million break - Business - TheState.com

SCANA giving customers a $25 million break - Business - TheState.com:
- krupon@thestate.com
"The Cayce-based energy giant set aside $25 million of its first-quarter revenue to give a credit on customers’ bills — a move that reduced first-quarter earnings by more than 10 percent.
“This is a very unusual event,” said Howard Silverblatt, a senior analyst with Standard & Poor’s in New York. “(If) I’m a shareholder, ‘Why are you giving away $25 million of my money?’ ”"

Progress Crews and Arborist rescue Hartsville cat stuck for weeks in tree | SCNow

Progress Crews and Arborist rescue Hartsville cat | SCNow:

"Late Thursday afternoon, crews from Progress Energy and a crew from Arbor Works scrambled to help bring Lucky down from the tree.
Progress Energy crews attempted to use a truck to get close to Lucky, but couldn’t reach him.
But after several hours of working to free Lucky, an arborist from Arbor Works was able to make his way up the tree, place Lucky in a bucket and bring him down to the ground.
Wilkes said though Lucky looked somewhat frail and weak, he “still had some fight in him.” She took Lucky to a local veterinarian where he could receive proper treatment after having spent so much time at the top of the tree.
“At least now there’s a happy ending to the story,” Wilkes said."

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Duke Energy criticized for supporting carbon regs - Charlotte Business Journal:

Duke Energy criticized for supporting carbon regs - Charlotte Business Journal::
John Downey, Senior Staff Writer
"Tom Borelli of the National Center for Public Policy Research presented a shareholder proposal at this year’s meeting that would force Duke to account for all its lobbying efforts in support of federal cap-and-trade programs to control carbon dioxide emissions.

The proposal was defeated. But even after the vote, Borelli and his wife, Deneen, peppered Rogers with questions and criticism about Duke’s position.

And the FreedomWorks organization had picketers outside the meeting at the Duke Energy Center on Church Street, protesting carbon regulation. That group also protested outside the Charlotte Chamber’s Business Person of the Year event last year, when Rogers received that award."

58% Still Support Offshore Oil Drilling - Rasmussen Reports™

58% Still Support Offshore Oil Drilling - Rasmussen Reports™:
"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 58% of voters believe offshore oil drilling should be allowed. But that’s down 14 points from 72% just after President Obama’s announcement at the end of March that he was lifting the ban on offshore drilling for the first time in years.
Twenty-three percent (23%) now oppose offshore drilling. Nineteen percent (19%) remain unsure whether it’s a good idea or not."

SCANA Reports Financial Results for First Quarter 2010 - MarketWatch

SCANA Reports Financial Results for First Quarter 2010 - MarketWatch:
"CAYCE, S.C., May 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- SCANA Corporation (SCG 38.60, -0.41, -1.05%) today reported consolidated earnings for the first quarter of 2010 of $127 million, or $1.02 per share, compared to $114 million, or $.94 per share, for the first quarter of 2009."

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

SCE&G Settlement?

The Post and Courier - SCE&G's revised plan under fire - Charleston SC - postandcourier.com:BY WARREN WISE
The Post and Courier
 "Scott emphasized the 6.55 percent figure is SCE&G's, and not the ORS.

The ORS is recommending a roughly 4.87 percent increase spread out over three years: 2.5 percent the first year, 1.2 percent the second and 1.17 percent the third, said Scott, whose agency represents consumers in rate cases.

He added that SCE&G has not received 100 percent of any rate request since 1971. Also, it has never been turned down, and, once, in 1998, it was ordered to decrease rates.

'We have come up with a well-balanced number that will protect the financial integrity of the utility,' Scott said."

SCE&G Settlement Includes Weather Normalization Rates

SCE&G lowers rate hike request - Business - TheState.com: "If the deal is approved by state regulators, SCE&G would provide a credit to customers, while lowering the utility’s profit rate from the hike. The agreement also would create a pilot program to address abnormally high, weather-driven spikes in monthly electricity bills."

SCE&G and ORS Rate Hike Settlement

Agency: SCE&G can cut expenses, lower rate hike - In The Loop - TheState.com:
In the Loop, Andrew Shain
"While the staff and SCE&G reached an agreement this week that could trim a proposed rate hike by the Cayce-based utility by a third, the state agency wants more cuts — and it identified millions which, it said, are not directly related to bringing electricity to homes and businesses."

U.S. exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental impact study

Click here for article:


Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"The Interior Department exempted BP's calamitous Gulf of Mexico drilling operation from a detailed environmental impact analysis last year, according to government documents, after three reviews of the area concluded that a massive oil spill was unlikely."

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Duke Energy earnings up 29% - Charlotte Business Journal:: "Duke Energy Corp. reports a 29 percent increase in first-quarter earnings to $445 million, or 34 cents per diluted share. The Charlotte-based energy company earned $344 million, or 27 cents per diluted share, a year earlier."

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