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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: utility companies

utility companies stories: 6 news summaries

 Utilities' 
 Green Plea:
 Best Your 
 Neighbor  

Rating households by energy savings jolts consumers into curbing power use

Jan 31, 09 9:37 AM CST
(Newser) - Utilities have discovered that tapping into consumers' competitive urges is the most effective way to jolt them into using less energy, the New York Times reports. Sacramento—in a program now copied in at least 10 other major cities—began awarding smiley faces to customers who did well compared to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
energy • utility companies • energy bill • energy saving • utilities

 As Deadbeats Soar, 
 Utilities Quick to Pull Plug 

As the economy worsens, electric companies get tough on delinquent bills

Nov 3, 08 6:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Utilities are growing increasingly aggressive about shutting off the juice even as more customers struggle to pay their bills in a sinking economy, reports the Wall Street Journal. The trend has regulators and consumer advocates worried companies have become too focused on their bottom lines, but utilities say they’re... More »

MORE ABOUT:
utility companies • consumer • electricity • economy • utilities • financial crisis

 GM, Utilities Join
 to Speed Plug-Ins 

Three-dozen utilities agree to help integrate electric cars with their grids

Jul 22, 08 11:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - General Motors and three dozen electric utilities in nearly 40 states have agreed to work together on the transition to plug-in electric vehicles that are expected to begin rolling out within 2 years, the Wall Street Journal reports. With GM’s Chevy Volt and Saturn Vue  expected to hit the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
utility companies • power grid • General Motors • electric cars • hybrid car • green transportation • Chevrolet Volt

Engineer's Goof Turned Out Florida Lights

Worker disabled
two levels of protective backup systems

Mar 1, 08 10:31 AM CST
(Newser) - One engineer's blunder shut off the power in Florida Tuesday, the Miami Herald reports. Florida Light & Power says a field engineer diagnosing a faulty switch disabled two levels of safety backups—against company policy—as he worked. In a bit of extremely unfortunate timing, a fault then occurred that... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Florida • utility companies • electricity • engineers • power outage • mistake • blackout

US Multinational Faces Human Rights Trial

Mining company accused of playing role in Colombian murders

Jul 9, 07 2:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - A landmark trial addressing corporate culpability for human-rights violations committed on foreign soil gets under way this week, testing whether an 18th-century antipiracy law applies to modern business practices. At issue is the 2001 murder of three Colombian mining-union leaders, the Wall Street Journal reports, and under scrutiny is the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
utility companies • federal courts • Colombia • Drummond Co. • Alabama • Birmingham • human rights violations

Utilities May Profit From Ruling

Some corporations may profit off tighter greenhouse gas regulations

Apr 3, 07 8:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Some utility  companies may actually benefit financially from the Supreme Court ruling forcing the EPA to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the Wall Street Journal reports.  While it will cost them millions in the short-term to meet new requirements, utilities in government-regulated markets—mostly in the Southeast, Great... More »

MORE ABOUT:
climate change • environment • politics • Texas • utility companies • pollution • greenhouse gases • Northeast • Southeast • Great Plains • West • Midwest • US Supreme Court • utilities

6 Stories


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