Aug. 24-31, 2009
CAPP NEWS ROUNDUP
August 24, 2009 through August 31, 2009
Industry News
Texas Heat Offers No Relief on Electric Bills
The Wall Street Journal
August 26, 2009
Record-breaking heat in parts of Texas is causing electricity bills to soar, just when most consumers were expecting some relief from sinking natural-gas prices. The protracted heat wave has pushed electricity demand up to record levels, as air conditioners run overtime. To meet the demand, costlier electric generators have been pressed into service. As a result, electric rates and consumer bills have risen despite the lower price of natural gas, which is used to generate most of the electricity in Texas.
Study: Texans less happy with electric providers
Austin Business Journal
August 25, 2009
Texans are not as happy with their retail electric providers as they used to be, according to a new report from J.D. Power and Associates. Price volatility over the past year was the primary influence behind the decline in satisfaction, said the 2009 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study.
U.S. power bills down, but not for long
Reuters
August 25, 2009
Many Americans have been getting a break on their electricity bills during the recession, but they should not expect the relief to last long as power demand recovers and climate regulations loom. Utilities in major markets like New York, Chicago and Texas lowered rates as the recession cut industrial and residential consumption and wholesale power costs during the first half of 2009 fell to the lowest levels in seven years.
CPS Energy inks partnership deal for solar energy project
San Antonio Business Journal
August 24, 2009
CPS Energy and Juwi Solar Inc. have agreed to jointly develop a new solar energy project in Southeast San Antonio. Under the Blue Wing Solar project, Juwi will install 214,500 solar photovoltaic modules near the intersection of Interstate Highway 37 and U.S. Highway 181. This solar power project should generate 14 megawatts of power, which translates to 25,345 megawatt-hours of energy for CPS Energy each year.
Taking a Dim View of Solar Energy
NewsWeek
August 25, 2009
Despite the bad economy, or maybe because of it, the rooftop-solar industry is booming, as Americans become increasingly intrigued by the idea of turning their roofs into mini power plants and cutting their electric bills. In 2008, 33,500 rooftop solar systems were installed in the United States, a 63 percent increase over the amount of capacity installed in 2007. Meanwhile, the outlook for the other side of the solar industry—the large, centralized power plants—isn't so sunny.
Study: Energy efficiency could boost South
CNBC
August 25, 2009
An aggressive strategy to replace aging equipment with more energy efficient products throughout the South would reduce the need to build more coal-fired power plants in the region through 2020, according to a Georgia Tech study released Monday.
Resilient Electric Grid Project: Keeping the U.S. Electrical Grid Online
Scientific Computing
August 28, 2009
Little do most know the strain on our electric grid— which has led to rolling brownouts and the massive 2003 blackout that left 40 million people across the Northeast in the dark — will only intensify in coming years. According to the Department of Energy, the annual cost of power outages is approximately $80 billion.