Need for Duke coal-gas plant on regulators’ agenda
Duke Energy Corp. says it needs a new coal-gasification power plant it’s building in southwest Indiana, but consumer advocates don’t believe it.
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IURC to re-examine Duke project amid ethics flap
The commission is summoning the CEO of North Carolina-based Duke Energy to justify the $2.9 billion Edwardsport plant on the same day the state ethics board filed formal charges against a former IURC attorney hired by Duke.
Duke Energy names interim president amid probe
Decision to replace Indiana CEO Mike Reed, who has been placed on administrative leave, follows a state investigation into an ethics controversy involving Duke that resulted in the dismissal of the chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
IPL chief Ann Murtlow is ‘personable’ power
Ann Murtlow's ability to connect with employees and the community has helped her thrive in a male-dominated field. She is one of a only a handful of women in the country to lead utilities.
Duke Energy puts local CEO on leave amid state probe
Duke Energy Corp. placed Mike Reed, CEO of its Indiana operations, on administrative leave Tuesday afternoon amid a state investigation that involves the company and resulted in the dismissal of the chairman of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
Consumer groups call for Duke to cancel Edwardsport project
A proposed settlement between the utility and industrial customers would temporarily cap the cost of the plant, which is $1 billion more than initial estimates.
Indianapolis Power & Light launches demand-side management program for business
Among other incentives, the program offers savings to firms that turn over to the utility operation of air conditioning units during times of peak energy demand.
IPL identifies locations for electric car charging stations
The utility plans an aggressive rollout of charging stations with the imminent arrival of electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, due in showrooms this December.
Indiana panel’s proposal would expand net metering
The draft net metering rule would boost the state’s power cap for renewable power units and expand it to all customer classes served by electric utilities.
LEADING QUESTIONS: IPL chief takes charge
Ann Murtlow describes taking control of the troubled utility and how she handles the demands of serving on a dozen different boards.
Battery-maker EnerDel eyes utility power-storage market
Locally based EnerDel Inc. has been riding high on prospects its lithium-ion batteries will be in hot demand to power plug-in
electric vehicles, but another market might be larger. A Piper Jaffray report estimates the global market for batteries used
to store electricity on utility power grids could be $600 billion over 10 years.
Indiana counselor ‘deeply concerned’ about Duke plant
Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor David Stippler’s comments came four months after Duke Energy revealed the cost of its southwestern
Indiana plant had grown to nearly $2.9 billion, or about twice the project’s original 2007 estimate.
Hoosier Energy reaches settlement with EPA
Rural electric cooperative to pay civil penalty of nearly $1 million for not using most modern pollution controls. Hoosier Energy also to spend up to $300 million on pollution controls at coal-fired plants.
Wind energy transmission raises equity questions
Transmission lines costing about $16 billion are needed to move wind energy into the electric grid. But the cost has sparked
a debate over who should pay for getting the power from where it is made to where it is consumed.
IPL mulling hydroelectric power on Ohio River
Expecting to be burned by greenhouse gas legislation that will make electricity generated from coal costly, Indianapolis Power
& Light is studying whether to buy power from two hydroelectric projects proposed for the Ohio River, near Evansville.
Wind energy jobs sought at Dallas trade show
An economic development squad is heading to Dallas to woo wind-energy firms. Indiana ranked second in the nation last year
in
adding wind-generating capacity.
IPL settles $190M dispute, resumes wind farm project
Indianapolis Power & Light tilted at wind farm developer by terminating its contract. Now a new agreement avoids the potential
$190 million in damages enXco sought against the local utility.
Carbon storage presents prickly trade-offs
Not only are utilities grappling with how to pull carbon from their coal-fired emissions, but they also crave certainty about
where to put the carbon. With minimal information available about Indiana’s deep subsurface , much remains to be done to determine
where and at what scale the practice could be deployed here.
Utilities face conundrum with carbon dioxide emissions
So-called carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, is seen by some in the utility business as a potential salvation for coal.
But utilities may face a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you don’t scenario.
Ivy Tech gets $4.7M energy grant to retrain 1,500 workers
Federal money will help create programs at community college and Purdue University to offer skills in smart-grid technologies.