Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
UGI Utilities will spend $4.4 million this year strengthening and extending its gas-line network in Lancaster County, the firm said Thursday.
That sum consists of $1.3 million to replace old gas mains, generally at least 50 years old, and $3.1 million to lengthen lines to serve new customers.
The price of oil extended gains above $100 a barrel Monday as the cold weather in the United States increased demand for heating fuels and solid Chinese credit numbers eased concerns over the world’s number 2 economy.
By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark U.S. crude for March delivery was up 49 cents to $100.79 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the Nymex contract fell 5 cents to close at $100.30.
Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140217/oil-price-above-100-on-us-heating-fuel-demand
INDICATOR: January Industrial Production and Import/Export Prices
KEY DATA: IP: -0.3%; Manufacturing: -0.8%/Imports: +0.1%; Nonfuel: +0.3%; Exports: +0.2%; Farm: -0.5%
IN A NUTSHELL: “The current economic slowdown, that hopefully can be blamed on the weather, is widespread.”
WHAT IT MEANS: January can be a cruel month and this year it is especially so. Job gains were mediocre, unemployment claims are above where we would like to see them, retail sales were pathetic and not surprisingly, manufacturers reacted by cutting back production sharply. Industrial production was off moderately in January but only because utilities had to produce massive amounts to heat our homes, offices and plants. Manufacturing output tanked as fifteen of the nineteen industry groups posted declines.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/economics_in_a_nutshell/Economic-slowdown-widespread.html#BofjoT0tjMWvuhFk.99
A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers will see their rates rise over the next four years to help pay for capital improvement to the city’s antiquated infrastructure, projected to cost $150 million over the next three years.
The board of PWSA voted todaty to approve a graduated rate increases for 2014 through 2017. The average household customer will see rates increase about $8.29 a month over three years, from $42.03 a month to $50.32 a month. Rates will rise about $3 a month for the first year, $1.94 for the second, $1.26 for the third and 77 cents for the fourth.
Larger consumers — like industrial customers — will share a larger portion of the increased burden.
The additional revenue will be used to pay down the $150 million bond issue expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
The PPL Building (seen here in the distance) is the tallest building in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PPL Utilities customers will soon see a new addition to their bills: a special charge aimed at financing speedier improvements to the Allentown-based utility’s electricity distribution system.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the new fee, which can be added to bills starting in July. Proceeds can be used to “recover reasonable and prudent costs incurred to repair, improve or replace certain eligible distribution property that is part of a utility’s distribution system.”
The commission approved PPL’s five-year accelerated infrastructure replacement plan in January. The plan includes more than $135 million in system improvements and reliability upgrades this year, and a total of $700 million between now and 2017.
Customers’ bills are expected to increase by about 0.44 percent, or 20 cents on the bill of a typical residential customer with 1,000 kilowatt-hours of monthly usage.
Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-ppl-distribution-charge-20130523,0,881996.story
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our Business Incubator is a project to stimulate entrepreneurs in the successful creation of a new business or to expand an existing business. The Micro-enterprise Resource Center (MERC) provides administrative offices at well-below market rates in Montgomery County, PA. Electricity, conference room, and parking provided at no extra cost. Occupancy is available immediately.
Please contact Geraldine Savoy, MERC Director 610-277-6363 X 141 or gsavoy@cadcom.org
The PPL Building (seen here in the distance) is the tallest building in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The state Public Utility Commission really wants electric users to switch from their utility to one of the dozens of alternative suppliers.
But PPL Electric Utilities inadvertently keeps giving electric users more motivation to stick with them.
PPL will cut its residential rate by 4.1 percent Friday, reflecting the cheaper prices it’s paying to obtain power on the wholesale market.
This latest change, announced Tuesday, is the third consecutive quarterly rate reduction for PPL.
U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments from PPL Corp. and federal tax authorities in a case whose outcome could determine the fate of billions of dollars in corporate profits.
The dispute, two decades in the making, involves a British tax imposed on PPL of Allentown after it bought one of many businesses privatized by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
At issue, specifically, are U.S. tax breaks for companies that pay foreign taxes. U.S. multinationals and lawmakers are watching closely — not only because the Obama administration has taken a very public stance against such tax breaks, but also because the nine Supreme Court justices rarely hear tax cases.
“The IRS recognizes the stakes in this case are broader than this particular [British] tax,” said Dirk Suringa, a former Treasury official, now a partner at law firm Covington & Burling.
Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/mc-sumpreme-court-hears-ppl-case-20130220,0,3330844.story
The 473,000 PECO customers who have made the switch to an alternative energy supplier must have felt pretty good about their choice Monday.
“PECO’s energy delivery rates have not changed but the price we are paying to purchase electricity for customers who have not switched to an alternative provider has gone up 21.5 percent from the third to the fourth quarter,” said PECO spokeswoman Cathy Engle Menendez.
“The price is adjusted quarterly and tied directly to the wholesale cost of electricity. We have no control over this price. It’s a pass-through.”
Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-mercury/story/electricity-costs-increase-peco-customers/1
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A residential development proposed for Washington Township has hit a snag because of recent changes to the water and sewer plans.
Developer Richard Mingey wants to build a 772-unit community on 225 acres just outside of Bally on the southeast side of the Route 100 and Kutztown Road intersection, extending to the west side of Schwenkfelder Road.
The problem arose at a planned residential development hearing before the township supervisors Tuesday. Attorney Amy Good objected that the plans before the board do not reflect the sewer and water service change: from municipal to on-site.
The last year has been pretty sweet for PPL Electric Utilities customers.
PPL has cut its rates five times because it’s been able to obtain power at ever-cheaper prices and pass those better deals onto its customers.
But while the cost of obtaining power accounts for about two-thirds of the total bill, there’s a smaller, yet significant chunk.
It’s the cost of delivering that power to your door.
And now PPL wants to charge extra for providing that service, enough to negate some of that recent relief.
Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/615869_PPL-eyes-hike-of-6-3–on-average.html#ixzz1qqSDdRen
Image via Wikipedia
Allentown, PA based PPL Electric set a record for morning peak power consumption today between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Record cold temperatures were the reason. The company released preliminary numbers showing that 7,432 megawatts were delivered. The previous record was set on February 11, 2008 when 7,163 megawatts were delivered for the same time period between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
PPL Electric’s all-time peak record was set for the 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. period on February 5, 2007, when 7,557 megawatts were delivered.
For a point of reference:
A standard household light bulb has a power rating of between 25 and 100 watts.
A kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts. The average electrical energy consumption in the United States is 8,900 kilowatts a year, per household. Your electric bill reflects your usage in kilowatt hours.
One megawatt of electricity is equal to 1,000,000 watts.
PPL is just one of 11 electricity suppliers in Pennsylvania!
Metropolitan Edison‘s (Met-Ed) electricity rate cap is set to expire on 12/31/10 (for Pennsylvania customers.) Rates are expected to rise 10%. Consumers will be offered the choice to stay with Met-Ed or switch to another electricity supplier which could save them money.
Allentown based PPL raised their rates by one-third after their rate cap expired 12/30/09.
PECO Energy aka Exelon’s rate cap is also set to expire 12/31/10. You can expect to see a 7% increase in your electric bill if you stay with PECO after the rate cap ends.
This link should give you information on the rates for all state-licensed electric suppliers: www.papowerswitch.com
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