Salem-News.com Energy articles Page 17

Oregon Power Bills Going Up, Way Up

A typical PGE residential bill will go up by $10.66 a month.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - The ripple effect of a much-criticized federal appeals court ruling hit home Wednesday for residential and small-farm customers of Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp and Idaho Power when the Oregon Public Utility Commission reluctantly approved a rate hike to take effect on customers’ bills Friday, June 1st.

Rates for PGE and PacifiCorp residential and small farm customers will increase by 13% effective June 1st.

The suspension of payments will cost Oregon customers $351,000 a day or $128 million a year.

Grassroots Group Launches National Campaign Against Congressional Effort to Repeal Energy Law

A former Congressman Warns: America Cannot Let Congress Get Away With Decreasing America's Domestic Energy Supplies.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The Partnership for America grassroots alliance is urging Congress not to repeal a law intended to help America reduce its reliance on foreign energy.

The Partnership urged Members of both political parties to retain key energy supply provisions of the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct05).

Oceanlinx Moves to Establish Wave Energy Park in State of Oregon

Application is for Oceanlinx' first large-scale commercial wave energy facility in the United States.

(SYDNEY, Australia /PRNewswire/ ) - Oceanlinx Limited, the leading international developer of wave technology for renewable energy and clean water, has, through its US subsidiary, applied to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") for a preliminary permit to establish a wave energy facility offshore of Florence in the state of Oregon on the West coast of the United States.

House Takes Steps Toward Greater Energy Independence

Hooley votes for CLEAN Energy Act, Investing $14 Billion in Clean, Renewable Energy

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Oregon Congresswoman Darlene Hooley joined with the new Majority to pass the CLEAN Energy Act, taking the first step on the path toward energy independence in the United States.

H.R. 6, the CLEAN (“Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation”) Energy Act of 2007, will repeal $14 billion in tax breaks and subsidies given to the oil industry, and will invest the money in the creation of a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to promote renewable fuels.

“The American public deserves fair value for their resources,” said Hooley.

Oregon PUC Rejects PacifiCorp Plan to Build Two Coal Plants

In its decision, the Commission declined to resolve issues related to CO2 risk at this time.

(SALEM) - The Oregon Public Utility Commission has rejected PacifiCorp’s request to conditionally approve a plan to seek bids to build two coal plants in order to meet growing energy demands.

The Commission found that the company failed to justify the need to acquire the amount and type of energy resources sought.

And the company’s proposal was not consistent with its earlier acknowledged resource plan.

Oregon Dealer Says There is No Killing the Electric Car in Salem

“Marketing electric cars is a very different ball game than selling gas powered cars. It’s selling a concept. The customer has a different motivation. Most of our customers are already environmentalists or are just rebelling against gas prices,” -Larry Dye of Electric Wheels

(SALEM) - Oregon’s only exclusive electric vehicle dealer has reported earnings of one half million dollars in the first nine months of 2006.

Most gas powered car dealers would scoff at this amount but for an electric car dealer – it’s a milestone. “Larry Dye, CEO of Electric Wheels has set a record,” says Gary Starr, Chairman of the Board of ZAP, the importer of the Xebra. “Electric Wheels is the #1 Xebra dealership in the country.”

International Researchers Discover Rich Methane Field Off The Coast of India

Researchers said the energy potential is still unknown.

(CORVALLIS) - An international team of scientists looking for gas hydrates off the coast of India has discovered a pair of methane hydrate reservoirs buried in the sediment below the Bay of Bengal, and though the idea of a new energy source is tantalizing, researchers say the technology does not yet exist to make these reservoirs commercially feasible.

A similar field of gas hydrates was found off the coast of Oregon a few years ago, said Marta Torres, a marine geochemist at Oregon State University and an investigator on the India and Oregon expeditions.

Governor Announces Support For Nation`s First Commercial Wave Energy Project

Ocean Power Technologies has received a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop a project off Reedsport. The company now must develop an application for a long-term license to install power-generation buoys offshore.

(SALEM) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski announced Monday his support for what will be the nation’s first offshore wave energy project near Reedsport.

"I want Oregon to launch a new wave of alternative energy development, and I mean that literally," the Governor said. "By tapping the energy of ocean waves, we can move Oregon toward national leadership in renewable energy technology. Oregon’s investment in energy security will mean a healthier environment, a more reliable supply of home-grown energy, and good jobs for our state."

NW Natural to Explore Feasibility of Willamette Valley Pipeline

NW Natural and GTN are now conducting an “open season” to determine the level of potential customer interest in the proposed pipeline.

(PORTLAND) - Northwest Natural Gas Company, announced Tuesday that it is working with TransCanada Corporation’s Gas Transmission Northwest System (GTN) to determine the feasibility of building a new interstate gas pipeline into the Willamette Valley.

The new pipeline is needed to bolster the reliability of the natural gas delivery system to homes and businesses in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Oregon State Students Build Wind-Powered Water Heater

The prototype is about the size of a phone booth and topped with a wind turbine made from a 50-gallon steel drum.

(CORVALLIS) - Engineering students from OSU, inspired by a late professor’s rudimentary sketches, has designed a working prototype of a hot water heating system powered solely by the wind.

The students believe the technology, using magnets, a copper plate and plenty of ingenuity, has the potential to birth a new company and make an impact on the way the world heats water, especially in developing countries.