Aperian Inc. has signed a 10-year, multimillion dollar energy services contract with TXU Energy Services, a unit of TXU Corp., TXU reported. TXU Energy Services will own, operate, and maintain the mechanical and electrical energy equipment at Aperian's five data centers in Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tampa. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
TECO Energy Inc., Tampa, Fla., said it plans to offer 7.5 million shares of its common stock through underwriters led by Credit Suisse First Boston. The sale of the common stock is expected to take place during the week of March 5. Proceeds from the sale shares will be used primarily to reduce the commercial paper balances of TECO Energy's finance subsidiary and may also be used for general corporate purposes.
Foster Wheeler Corp.'s subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energy International Inc., has signed an agreement with Lurgi Lentjes Bischoff GmbH, a Lurgi Lentjes AG company, Dusseldorf, Germany, giving it worldwide rights to market, sell, and supply that company's ammonia-based flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment. FGD technology is used to remove sulfur-based emissions from power plants and other industrial applications that rely upon the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, as their primary source of energy.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) said it received permits for all seven sites at which it will install small, gas-turbine generators to help prevent electricity price spikes in New York City and on Long Island this summer. NYPA said is moving ahead quickly to assure that 11 units will be ready in time to meet warm-weather needs and avoid a California-style shortage.
Emera Inc., Halifax, NS, said it entered into an underwriting agreement with a syndicate of underwriters led by CIBC World Markets Inc., under which the underwriters have agreed to buy and sell to the public 9 million shares for $16.10/share, resulting in gross process of $144.9 million. Closing is expected Mar.14. Net proceeds will be used to fund growth initiatives as well as for general corporate purposes. Emera is a diversified energy and services company, with 440,000 customers and $2.9 billion in assets. Its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Nova Scotia Power Inc., is a regulated electric utility that supplies 95% of the electric generation, transmission, and distribution in Nova Scotia.
South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G), a unit of SCANA Corp., said Tuesday it expects the 1,000 Mw Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina to restart in early March from an outage that began in October. The plant, in Parr, SC, has been idle since Oct. 7, when inspection during a scheduled maintenance and refueling outage found a cracked weld on a 30-in. diameter pipe in one of the reactor's coolant systems, putting the refueling operation on hold. SCE&G, which has 67% ownership of Summer, operates the plant for a consortium of South Carolina utilities.
Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) adjourned until further notice hearings on an application by Sumas Energy 2 Inc. (Sumas) to build an international power line in British Columbia. At the opening of the hearing in Abbotsford, the board stated it learned Feb.16 the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) would be recommending to the governor that he deny the Sumas application to build a gas-fired electric energy facility in Sumas, Wash. Sumas has applied to the NEB for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct and operate an 8.5 km international power line from the US border to the B.C. Hydro Clayburn substation located in Abbotsford, BC.
Kuwait and Syria have initialed an agreement under which Damascus will receive $65 million for a 300 Mw expansion of the Naseriya power station, located northeast of the capital, the OPECNA wire services reported. The deal was signed by Mohammad Sadeqi, representing the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), and officials from the Syrian planning authority.
Wisconsin Energy Corp.(WEC) and the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council reported they have reached a labor agreement for the proposed construction of two 600 Mw coal-fired electric generating units at the Oak Creek power plant and a 500 Mw natural gas-fired electric generating unit at the Port Washington power plant. Under the agreement, WEC will use union labor for the construction projects, and union members will complete the $1.9 billion plant construction without delays, strikes, or work stoppages, according to the parties.
