LANSING - An annual electric rate increase for customers of Northern States Power Company of $839,000 has been approved by the Public Service Commission. The settlement agreement will affect customers of the Wisconsin-based utility in two counties in the Upper Peninsula bordering Wisconsin. The settlement should end the utility request filing that was initially made
LANSING - The Great Lakes Compact has received has worked in some cases, not so in others, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Wildlife Federation on the initiative's overall progress and effectiveness. Michigan received high marks for the Department of Environmental Quality's on-line Water Withdrawal Assessment tool, which is used to predict
LANSING - Michigan and 26 other states will need to see how power plant emissions are allocated before they will know how new federal rules signed Thursday would affect the state, Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality Division Chief Vinson Hellwig told Gongwer News Service. The new rules, which also still have to go through
WALLOON LAKE - Gas Technologies LLC said Thursday that it has streamlined its GasTechno advanced alcohol, biofuels and chemical plant that profitably converts natural gas to liquids and chemical products for less than $2 million. The company announced its new GasTechno Mini‐GTL gas‐to‐liquids plant packages will range in cost from $1.5 million to $2 million
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission announced $62 million in low-income assistance grants and $5 million in energy efficiency grants from the Low-Income and Energy Efficiency Fund. As has been typical, the largest portion of the assistance grants (docket No. U-13129), $35 million, went to the Department of Human Services for assistance those not
FREMONT - Consumers Energy has contracted to purchase the total renewable energy output produced by the $22 million Fremont Community Digester, a 3.1 megawatt expected to go online summer 2012. "This is the first time that Consumers Energy will be buying renewable energy from fuel produced by processed food waste. This innovative facility is another
DETROIT - NextEnergy announced that Steven E. Kurmas, president and CEO of Detroit Edison, has joined its Board of Directors. ?Steve's background in power generation, fuel supply, and electric distribution makes him a very valuable addition to our board,? says NextEnergy Chairman Chris Rizik. He adds, ?This is all the more true as NextEnergy evolves
SAN FRANCISCO - CleanPath announced the close of an equity and credit facility to invest in the development and construction of large-scale solar PV projects in North America. CleanPath will manage two revolving facilities to invest over $800 million into 1,000 plus megawatts in large-scale solar PV projects over the next 60 months. Founded by
WASHINGTON- The Senate voted Thursday to repeal a $6 billion tax credit for ethanol producers, a move that could signal the end of some federal subsidies as part of an eventual budget and debt-ceiling compromise. Most Democrats and a number of Republicans supported an end to the subsidy, in a 73-27 vote. The subsidy gives
LANSING - Frank Van Kempen didn't come to the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday looking for a government handout to help him grow his ethanol-producing enterprise. The West Michigan entrepreneur is confident it will thrive on its own, and pay for itself, with the help of legislation allowing farmers to use his patented fermentation process without