NY water plan could cost power generators billions

2010-03-12T16:01:08Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York environmental regulators this week released a plan to protect aquatic life in the state's rivers that could cost power generators billions to upgrade their facilities.</p><p>The plan, which still needs final approval, would affect most of the state's six nuclear power plants and several facilities powered by fossil fuels t...

British Columbia OKs 19 projects in clean power push

2010-03-12T11:45:47Z

<div><p>OTTAWA (Reuters) - British Columbia has given the green light to 19 private-sector clean energy projects that will generate enough power to supply nearly 218,000 homes in Canada's Pacific Coast province.</p><p>The approvals, announced late on Thursda...

Fitch Ratings downgrades 2 Edison subsidiaries

2010-03-12T11:45:37Z

<div id="subtitle">Fitch Ratings downgrades 2 Edison International subsidiaries, leaves parent's rating unchanged</div><div><p>Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded two subsidiaries of power company Edison International, affecting about $6 billion in long-term debt, some of it not included on the units' balance sheets.</p><p>Fitch lowered

Maine high court upholds state wind farm law

2010-03-11T14:30:25Z

<div id="subtitle">Maine high court upholds law aiming to speed up permit process for wind farms</div><div><p>Maine's highest court on Thursday upheld a state law that aims to hasten the permit process for wind farms in the state.</p><p>The Maine Supreme Judicial Court unanimously rejected arguments from the Friends of Lincoln Lakes nonprofit group, which challenged the Dep...

Vt. utilities enter deal with Quebec

2010-03-11T14:00:21Z

<div id="subtitle">Vermont utilities reach new power deal with Hydro-Quebec</div><div><p>Two Vermont utilities signed an agreement Thursday on a 26-year deal to buy power from Canadian provincial utility Hydro-Quebec, replacing contracts that expire beginning in 2012.</p><p>The deal is among SunEdison wins approval to build largest solar power plant in Italy</div><div><p>MEMC Electronics Materials Inc. said Thursday that its solar power subsidiary SunEdison has received final approval from the Italian government to build Europe<...

La. pension system sues to stop FirstEnergy deal

2010-03-11T08:00:09Z

<div id="subtitle">Louisiana police retirement fund sues to stop planned FirstEnergy takeover of Allegheny Energy</div><div><p>The Louisiana Municipal Police Employees Retirement System wants a federal judge in Pittsburgh to stop FirstEnergy's proposed $4.7 billion takeov...

Shell shuts down two gas plants in Nigeria

2010-03-11T02:16:21Z

<div><p>Shell said Thursday it had closed down two gas plants feeding Nigeria's power stations so that it could carry out repairs on a damaged supply pipeline in the restive oil-producing region.</p><p>"We have closed down Sapele and Oben gas plants for technical reasons. The closure will be temporary as the company is working round-the-clock to restore normal production," Shell's sp...

S.Korea, Turkey sign deal on nuclear power plant

2010-03-10T10:16:08Z

<div><p>The state power companies of South Korea and Turkey signed a preliminary deal here Wednesday aimed at building a nuclear power plant in northern Turkey.</p><p>Under the deal, the companies will carry out preliminary work and "if a common ground with mutually acceptable conditions emerges, the main agreement between the two governments will be signed", Shanghai, China. China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations. China, the world's largest ...

Israel wants to build nuclear power plants

2010-03-09T01:15:18Z

<div id="subtitle">Minister: Israel wants to build nuclear plants to secure energy supplies, fight global warming</div><div><p>Israel's infrastructure minister says his country wants to build nuclear power plants in cooperation with its Arab neighbors.</p><p>Uzi Landau says all nuclear plants built in Israel will be subject to strict safety and security controls.<...

Enel prepares to merge Spanish renewable assets

2010-03-04T08:01:03Z

<div><p>MADRID/MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Enel SpA looks set to merge most of its Spanish renewable energy assets into its Green Power unit in a move to beef up the division ahead of a stake sale scheduled for this year.</p><p>Its 92 percent-owned Spanish unit Endesa SA

In Vermont, unease over aging, leaky nuke plant

2010-03-02T16:00:44Z

<div id="subtitle">Voters use privilege from colonial days to seek closure of leaky Vermont nuclear plant</div><div><p>In their annual town meeting on Tuesday, folks in this Vermont ski town voted on a town budget, debated the need for a new roof on the fire department building and adjourned at lunchtime to nosh on Tracey Coutts' famous "yummy chicken pieces" casserole ...

Sweden to build 2,000 new wind turbines: minister

2010-03-02T10:19:32Z

<div><p>Sweden will build 2,000 new wind turbines over the next decade as part of a bid to dramatically increase its production of renewable energy, Enterprise and Energy Minister Maud Olofsson said Tuesday.</p><p>"Sweden has extremely good prospects for rapidly increasing the production of renewable energy, especially from the burning of biofuels, cogeneration plants and...

Coal-fired plant may be out of steam before itÕs up

2010-03-02T02:15:29Z

<div><p> A controversial coal-fired power plant was supposed to be under construction near Mesquite by now.</p><p>Sithe Global Power planned to have the Toquop Energy Project generating relatively cheap electricity by 2013 so it could sell the power wholesale to Nevada and other Southwest states.</p><p>But the site remains empty, and many Mes...

Mass. wind farm project sent to preservation panel

2010-03-01T15:00:41Z

<div id="subtitle">Interior secretary sends Mass. wind farm project to historical preservation panel for review</div><div><p>The secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday asked a key historical preservation panel to weigh in on a proposed Cape Cod project that would be the nation's first offshore wind farm.</p>...

Entergy Corp. runs into hurdles with spinoff plan

2010-02-26T12:15:28Z

<div id="subtitle">Entergy Corp. plan to spin off its wholesale nuclear power plants runs into roadblocks</div><div><p>Power provider Entergy Corp.'s proposal to spin off its wholesale nuclear power plants into a separate company has run into snags long past the time it had hoped to close the deal.</p><p>New York regulators may tighten conditions for creation of U.S. appears inevitable. It just may not happen as smoothly as the Obama administration and others hope.</p><p>The Vermont...

Deere mulls possible sale of wind energy business

2010-02-25T09:15:34Z

<div id="subtitle">Deere hires Goldman to review options for wind energy business, including its possible sale</div><div><p>Farm equipment maker Deere & Co. said Thursday it has hired investment adviser Goldman Sachs & Co. to review options for the company's wind energy business, including a possible sale.</...

Energy group Centrica returns to profit

2010-02-25T04:15:44Z

<div><p>British energy provider Centrica swung back into profit in 2009, helped by a strong performance by its residential arm British Gas, the company said on Thursday.</p><p>Centrica posted a net profit of 844 million pounds for 2009, which compared with a net loss of 137 million pounds a year earlier, according to the group's results statement.</p>...

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