New Ways to Scrub Out the Carbon - Green Blog - NYTimes.com

New Ways to Scrub Out the Carbon - Green Blog - NYTimes.com:

Matthew L. Wald

"Three technologies lead the pack for capturing the carbon dioxide in coal while also harnessing the energy. On Thursday, the Energy Department endorsed the “oxyburn” strategy, which involves filtering the nitrogen out of air and burning coal in pure oxygen, with a resulting flue gas that is almost pure carbon dioxide; it will attempt that in Illinois.

The other two technologies involve scrubbing the carbon dioxide out of flue gases in coal that is conventionally burned, something that American Electric Power is trying out at a decades-old plant in West Virginia, and cooking the coal into a hydrocarbon gas and taking the carbon dioxide out before combustion, which Duke Energy is planning to do in Edwardsport, Ind."

Progress Energy 2nd-quarter profit rises - BusinessWeek

Progress Energy 2nd-quarter profit rises - BusinessWeek:

"Progress Energy Inc. said Friday its profit rose 3 percent in the second quarter, helped by hot June weather and the repowering of a plant that shifted from fuel oil to natural gas."

FCC and DOJ will coordinate reviews of telecom mergers - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

FCC and DOJ will coordinate reviews of telecom mergers - The Hill's Hillicon Valley:

By Gautham Nagesh - 08/06/10 11:43 AM ET

"Commissioner Mignon Clyburn raised the issue after the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau's approval of an April divestiture by Verizon to Atlantic Tele-Network in connection to Verizon Wireless's acquisition of ALLTEL. Clyburn noted that Verizon had little to no guidance on what procedures it should use to reconcile the potentially divergent goals.

“Increased coordination between DOJ and the FCC on divestitures will benefit small businesses, new entrants and all parties to merger transactions,' Genachowski said. 'I am particularly grateful to Commissioner Clyburn for highlighting this issue, and for her focus on, insight into and contributions to ensuring our progress in this area.”"

Second Wind's Triton Sonic Wind Profiler to study SODAR potential off the shore of SC

Columbia Regional Business Report | Columbia, SC:

"The two organizations have partnered with Santee Cooper, Clemson’s S.C. Institute for Energy Studies, Coastal Carolina University, Center for Hydrogen Research and the U.S. Coast Guard to make up the South Carolina Consortium for Offshore Wind.

On Wednesday, the consortium installed Second Wind’s Triton Sonic Wind Profiler, which uses sound detection and ranging technology, on an offshore Coast Guard platform off the coast of Georgetown, to study SODAR technology’s potential as an offshore wind measurement tool."

[The potential for wind power was established in a landmark study by Prof. Wile E. Coyote and was profiled in a 1958  documentary "Whoa Be-Gone" directed by Chuck Jones]. 

FCC draws fire over talks with Internet, telecom giants on 'net neutrality'

FCC draws fire over talks with Internet, telecom giants on 'net neutrality':

By Cecilia Kang

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 5, 2010; 8:34 AM

"Matt Polka, president of American Cable Association, a group that represents smaller cable broadband operators, said he agrees with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association that the FCC shouldn't pursue open-Internet rules. But, he said, 'you have to hope that the interests of smaller rural providers are also being represented in these discussions and not just the biggest cable firms.'"

College Inc. (Wash. Post) - California college is first to go 'grid positive'

College Inc. - California college is first to go 'grid positive':
By Daniel de Vise

"This release, though, caught my eye. Butte College in Northern California says it has become the first and only 'grid positive' college in the nation, producing more clean energy than it uses.

Butte College is poised to become the largest collegiate producer of solar power in the world, generating enough electricity to power 9,200 homes."

Google and Verizon in Talks on Selling Internet Priority - NYTimes.com

Google and Verizon in Talks on Selling Internet Priority - NYTimes.com:

By EDWARD WYATT

Published: August 4, 2010

"Such an agreement could overthrow a once-sacred tenet of Internet policy known as net neutrality, in which no form of content is favored over another. In its place, consumers could soon see a new, tiered system, which, like cable television, imposes higher costs for premium levels of service."

Duke Energy Suffers Setbacks in Second-Quarter 2010, but Cites Strong Operational Performance, an Industrial Info News Alert - MarketWatch

Duke Energy Suffers Setbacks in Second-Quarter 2010, but Cites Strong Operational Performance, an Industrial Info News Alert - MarketWatch:

"SUGAR LAND, TX, Aug 04, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Electric power company Duke Energy (DUK 17.36, -0.01, -0.05%) (Charlotte, North Carolina) reported a drop in net income for the second quarter of 2010, despite a slight increase in earnings, largely because of non-cash impairment charges of $660 million, the mark-to-market impact of economic hedges, and one-time corporate expenses"

Lowcountry agencies overrun with calls for utility bill help - Charleston SC - The Post and Courier - postandcourier.com

Lowcountry agencies overrun with calls for utility bill help - Charleston SC - The Post and Courier - postandcourier.com:

BY WARREN WISE

The Post and Courier

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

"In June, 39.7 percent of all requests for help through United Way were for utility payments. That number increased to 41.5 percent in July.

'Our call rate during the last quarter was up 19 percent over the previous quarter and the same quarter last year,' Trident United Way spokesman Barry Waldman said.

Boyle often hears that people are about to lose their electric service because their work hours have been cut, they are unemployed or are on a fixed income.

'We also have too many senior citizens calling us that they have really high bills this summer and can't handle them,' she said."

EPA left to pick up climate change where Congress dropped the debate

EPA left to pick up climate change where Congress dropped the debate:

By David A. Fahrenthold and Juliet Eilperin

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

"Starting in January, under EPA rules new permits will require the largest factories and power plants to show they have installed the 'best available' technology to curb emissions. Smaller sources of greenhouse gases like shops, apartment buildings and bakeries are exempt.

That might mean upgrades to make plants burn fuel more efficiently or perhaps to switch from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas."

Reid abandons oil-spill, energy legislation until September - The Hill's E2-Wire

Reid abandons oil-spill, energy legislation until September - The Hill's E2-Wire:

Darren Goode and Ben German

"But in announcing plans to push consideration of the bill until at least September, Reid said: “It’s clear Republicans were going to be determined to stand in the way of everything."

Senate energy bill missing off top of this week's agenda as recess looms - TheHill.com

Senate energy bill missing off top of this week's agenda as recess looms - TheHill.com:

By Alexander Bolton 08/01/10

"Instead, the Senate will likely spend only a day this week on a narrow oil-spill response bill that appears fated to stall because of another Republican filibuster. The Senate is scheduled to take a recess until mid-September after this week, giving lawmakers a chance to campaign back in their home states."

Energy Update - Rasmussen Reports™

Energy Update - Rasmussen Reports™:

"It's important to note, however, that the question does not specify what form these new sources of energy take. However, 59% of voters think investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar is a better long-term investment for America than investing in fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. Twenty-nine percent (29%) feel fossil fuels are the better long-term investment. There has been little change in these numbers since the first of the year."

Despite FCC “Scare Tactics,” Researcher Demos AT&T Eavesdropping � The Firewall - Forbes.com

Despite FCC “Scare Tactics,” Researcher Demos AT&T Eavesdropping The Firewall - Forbes.com:

Andy Greenberg

"Paget invited anyone with an AT&T phone to make a call, and using his GSM hijacking trick, routed their calls through a voice-over-Internet system that connected their calls even while recording the audio to a USB stick--which he promptly destroyed with a pair of scissors to make sure he hadn't violated any privacy laws. The hack, after all, was intended to show the fundamental insecurity of GSM cell signals--not spy on callers."