Utilities, IPPs agree on $11+ million settlement
Ending years of often bitter litigation, 14 Vermont utilities and the state’s independent power producers on January 29 filed a proposed settlement that would save Vermont consumers between $11 million and $45 million, according to a statement released by the utilities and the Vermont IPPs. The Public Service Board would have to approve the agreement.The settlement would initially reduce power costs for the 14 utilities by $11 million to $15 million, or 5 to 8 percent annually, over the next 10 years. The parties also agreed to work together to seek legislative approval for securitization of remaining IPP costs, which would save an additional $20 million to $30 million for ratepayers. Securitization is the issuing of bonds to buyout or buydown the future value of the contracts of the small power producers. The interest rates on the bonds would be about 4.5-5.5 percent per year. Ratepayers would pay the principal and interest through an extra charge on bills determined by their amount of electricity use. The cost difference would save ratepayers $2-3 million per year over the next 10 years.The initial power cost reductions will go forward, pending Public Service Board approval, regardless of securitization. Securitization requires passage of a bill now going through the Legislature that would allowing the PSB to grant it. The IPPs are small power producers, commonly hydro generating plants, whose wholesale rates to utilities are generally much higher than that of regulated power producers.The initial savings include: $6.69 million from reducing and eliminating some security requirements for the IPPs and $3 million in direct revenue reductions for the IPPS. Changes in dispatch plans at Ryegate and possibly Missisquoi IPPs will provide at least $1 million, but that figure could rise to $2 million to $4 million.The benefits of the settlement would be distributed to the 14 utilities based on the share of energy they provide.
continue reading » ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr Everybody in lending knows that collateral recovery and vehicle repossessions are unpleasant and unenjoyable for all parties involved. Unfortunately, it’s a part of business in auto lending. And as long as your financial institution and its staff are tracking collateral and assets, you’ll encounter angry, hostile borrowers who will make asset collection as difficult as possible. Here are some tips for how to deal with hostile debtors when your financial institution staff, field agents, and repossession agents are trying to recover collateral.1. Stay completely professionalStaying calm, cool, and collected in the face of a debtor who’s screaming, crying, or threatening is difficult. However, your financial institution’s staff, field agents, and repossessors must remain professional at all times to uphold your financial institution’s reputation and portray your institution in a positive light.Your repossessor’s personal appearance is a reflection on your financial institution and its partners. Uniforms or a dress code plus clear identification help establish that your field agents, partners, and repossessors are professionals conducting official business.
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Share LocalNews Geothermal potential in Dominica moves to another stage by: – March 14, 2012 Energy Minister Rayburn Blackmoore. Geothermal exploration in Dominica has moved into another phase as two test wells have been completed in Laudat.Minister Responsible for Energy Rayburn Blackmoore told a press conference on Wednesday that the government of Dominica made a commitment to diversify its energy resources and the greatest hope for citizens is in geothermal development. “We have signed contracts with two companies and earlier one had to do with the drilling of test wells and the other to do with the actual testing of the wells. The first well which was done ion site two in Laudat commenced on December 16th, 2011 and the completion was January 28, 2012. We said we wanted to find out the size and the quality and the requisite tests are being done to determine whether energy could be produced from that well. The actual opening of the well started on Friday and the reason for that was to get a sense as to whether there was any flow in that well and the quality would give us an idea of whether there are any prospects for energy from that well,” he explained.Blackmoore said he has been advised that a temperature reading of 240-265 degrees Celsius was recorded down to the depth of 1337 meters which is great news as the minimum temperature required to produce energy would be in the region of 180 degrees Celsius.This he said demonstrates that his government is committed to ensuring that everything possible is done to develop geothermal potential to electrical power.According to the energy minister, the long term objective of governments’ effort is to have a power plant of 120 megawatts to provide for the local market and sell the surplus to the neighboring French islands.“We believe that we also have to address our own local demand by constructing a small plant so we can see some benefits to the people of Dominica because high energy impacts on every sector of any society and we believe that we can benefit by having an edge in terms of investments,” he explained further.Blackmoore also noted that a second test well which is parallel to the first is also being constructed.“The conditions that currently exist on the second well are much more impressive than the first one, we have seen smoother progress, no pressure loss in the drilling process and we are going to see the completion of that well before the 28 day deadline,” he added.Dominica Vibes News
Batesville, IN—The fall 2019 Batesville Community Education Foundation classroom grants awarded to the Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC) all share a common theme—the funded projects aim to give students a chance to grow their knowledge. And in one case, the growth is meant literally—using seeds.Batesville Primary School teacher Vickie Heil was awarded $2,400 for a new greenhouse at the school. Lessons have been developed that teach students the importance of starting the planting process from seeds that they have harvested in the fall. The students determine the amounts of plants needed for the size of their planting beds and learn all about seed growth while monitoring progress. Planning, organization, responsibility, and teamwork are some of the many important skills that the children develop through this process.Heil wrote in her application, “Having a greenhouse allows for year-round learning opportunities in the garden, as well as saves us money because we don’t have to purchase as many seeds and plants. Our current greenhouse is falling apart. By investing in a new greenhouse, more than 500 BPS students will be able to continue to take advantage of our popular garden program.”Working with materials that students might think are from a previous century, the two Batesville Middle School (BMS) seventh-grade language arts teachers, Sheryl McCreary and Lisa Barnett, have been awarded $2,000 to purchase gator boards (high-quality display boards) for their annual Century Fair project. This popular annual research project about time periods will impact approximately 170 students every year and should last about ten years.BMS Principal Dave Strouse said, “Parents, community members, and other educators have the opportunity to visit the Century Fair first-hand to see students present their decade projects as students dress in costume accustom to their decade. The gator boards would greatly enhance the Century Fair experience for our students.”BPS music teacher Lori Spears was awarded a grant of $600 to establish a singing library in her classroom. The library will be accessible during stations, for partner work, and for students who finish their work early. These singable books will be used for vocal exploration, for development of higher levels of thinking in music, and for students to explore their singing voices. Wordless books can be used for the littler students with markings for pitch. This is another amazing way to integrate music into the world of the littlest learners.Spears explains the program this way: “I would like to use books to help students feel comfortable with singing alone. Students can pair up with a book that uses a song we have learned in class. One student can hold the book and turn the pages, while the other one sings, and then they will switch roles. The students benefit from hearing one another sing, and the medium used makes singing alone something that is interesting, not intimidating.”
RelatedPosts Bayern Munich fans undergo Super Cup coronavirus tests Vidal lands in Milan to complete move from Barca to Inter Whirlwind Bayern Munich dismantle Schalke in season opener Robert Lewandowski netted a second-half winner as holders Bayern Munich remained on course for a domestic double after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final for the third straight year.Despite a superb first half, in which they took the lead through Ivan Perisic, Bayern were made to sweat when they completely lost their rhythm after the break and allowing their opponents to come back into the match with a goal from Danny Da Costa. “In the first half, we should have scored more goals. In the second half, we did not do it well,” Bayern coach, Hansi Flick, said.“But it was a Cup game and at the end it was a deserved qualification.“It could have been an easier second half if we had done it better in the first.”Bayern will now play Bayer Leverkusen, who cruised past fourth tier Saarbruecken 3-0 on Tuesday, in the final in Berlin on July 4.Having all but secured the Bundesliga title and chasing a 20th German Cup crown, the Bavarians were unstoppable in the first half and an unmarked Perisic headed in a Thomas Mueller cross for the lead in the 14th minute. They should have scored several more with Perisic, Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski repeatedly going close as the visitors were completely outclassed in the first half.Frankfurt, who beat Bayern in the 2018 final, came out transformed after the break and snatched an equaliser through substitute Da Costa in the 69th.Yet, Lewandowski scored the winner five minutes later with Bayern’s only real chance in the second half.Reuters/NAN.Tags: Bayern MunichEintracht FrankfurtRobert Lewandowski
Press Association Bracelet gave trainer Aidan O’Brien a fourth victory in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh with a determined effort in the hands of Colm O’Donoghue. Despite winning the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, Bracelet was a 10-1 shot stepped up to Group One level. Luca Cumani’s British raider Volume took the field along for much of the mile and a half contest, but the pack had closed up by the home turn. Bracelet and stable companion Tapestry came to make it a three-way fight inside the final furlong and it was Bracelet who got the better of her stable companion by a neck to lead home an O’Brien one-two. Volume was third. 
JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photoTAMPA, Fla. ? A slow start and a huge passing day for Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge were too much for Wisconsin to overcome on New Year’s Day in Tampa, as UW lost in the Outback Bowl 21-17.After falling behind 21-7 in the second quarter, the Badgers (9-4, 5-3 Big Ten) battled back, but never were able to overtake the Volunteers (10-4, 6-2 SEC).Momentum had seemingly swung toward Wisconsin midway through the fourth quarter. Trailing by four, Wisconsin had just blocked a short Tennessee field goal attempt and driven deep into enemy territory ? largely thanks to a 50-yard run by newly healthy running back P.J. Hill.Facing a first and 10 from the Tennessee 18-yard line, Wisconsin looked poised to take a lead for the first time in the game. After three plays netted a total of eight yards, however, the Badgers were forced into a fourth-and-two situation.With six minutes remaining in the game and down to only one timeout, UW head coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Paul Chryst elected to forego a field goal that would have made it a one-point game and go for the first down.?On third down we had made the decision. ? I said if it?s fourth-and-two or less we?re going for it,? Bielema said. ?We had to call accordingly. And obviously it?s fourth-and-two, and we didn?t take advantage, we weren?t able to execute. Tennessee did a good job, they were laying back on the quarterback as well.?Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Donovan took the snap and, with the play calling for UW?s receivers to flood the right side of the defense, rolled right initially. Finding nothing open, he changed course and scrambled left. With a defender closing hard on him and nowhere left to run, Donovan threw the ball away out of the back of the end zone.?We tried to throw them off, obviously those are kind of run downs, so we thought they would be expecting the run. ? They did a good job of out-flanking it and shutting it down,? Donovan said.Weighing on Bielema?s mind was that it would take a defensive stop and another field goal to take the lead, had a field goal been kicked.?There?s a lot of things that went into it,? Bielema said of the call. ?We had one timeout, and also we?re in an unfamiliar stadium out there and ? we had been warned about the swirling winds. I felt pretty confident about that field goal, but I was more considerate about if we were in a long field again.?The failed conversion gave the ball back to Tennessee with 5:52 left in the game and the opportunity to run the clock down. Twice early in the drive Wisconsin appeared to have Tennessee on the ropes, forcing the Volunteers into third down situations. Both times, however, Ainge, who threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns on the day to earn game MVP honors, was able to find a receiver open in the Wisconsin secondary and complete a pass for a first down.?I know there were way too many third-and-longs,? Tennessee head coach Phillip Fullmer said. ?For the quarterback and the line and the protection, and having to manage that, you?re putting yourself at risk.?I know we converted a good number of big plays on third down, which was huge.?For the game, Tennessee converted on nine of 18 third down attempts, five of which came when the Volunteers needed seven or more yards to pick up a first down.?It?s tough to win ballgames when you don?t get off the field on third down,? linebacker DeAndre Levy said. ?We had a lot of chances, but even in spite of that, we still had a chance at the end.?Finally stopping the Volunteers on their third third down of the drive, the Badgers turned the ball back over to their offense for a final desperation drive.Starting 88 yards away from the end zone with 86 seconds remaining in the game, Donovan turned to his tight ends to pick up first downs and move the ball down the field. Garrett Graham caught consecutive passes to pick up 21 and then 10 yards and Travis Beckum ? kept in check most of the day by the Tennessee defense to the tune of two catches for 22 yards ? grabbed a 13-yard completion.After a Tennessee offside penalty moved the ball forward five yards, Wisconsin had the ball at the 36-yard line with just over half a minute remaining. Straying from the intermediate passing game, Donovan went for it all, lofting a pass down the left sideline for a streaking Paul Hubbard.As Hubbard dove for the ball, Volunteers? safety Antonio Wardlow cut in front of him and made a leaping interception.?I was expanding the route, it called for me to expand out, outward toward the sideline, and that?s what I was doing,? Hubbard said. ?But I think [Donovan] put it on a line drive a little more on the inside.After the interception, all Ainge had to do was drop to a knee and the clock ran out on the Wisconsin season.
Californians are constantly worried about possible earthquakes occurring when they least expect it. Recently, this fear has been exacerbated by an earthquake advisory that was announced earlier this month and ended on Oct. 4. While the thought of a natural disaster is daunting, USC is taking steps to ensure that students are safe in such situations.Daily Trojan file photoShake the ground · Last year’s Great California ShakeOut had actors in makeup portraying people injured in an earthquake around campus.This Thursday, USC will participate in the Great California ShakeOut, the largest disaster drill in history, with millions of people expected to participate. USC has been involved in this program since 2008 as part of the University’s extensive emergency-preparedness program. The drill is intended to help people feel prepared in case of a major earthquake and practice how to protect themselves in what could potentially be a life-threatening situation. All members of the University, including students, staff and faculty, are highly encouraged to participate, regardless of what part of campus they are on.Hannah Hunt, a freshman majoring in global studies, commented on the importance of this drill to her as someone who isn’t originally from a place where earthquakes happen regularly.“I’m from Connecticut, and earthquakes aren’t really an issue there, so I was never taught what to do in that sort of situation,” Hunt said. “I think USC’s drill is a really good idea, that way all students are on the same page and I’ll know how to protect myself if there’s ever a large earthquake while I’m living here.”In addition to participating in the ShakeOut, the Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning recommends that everyone assemble an emergency kit with supplies such as food, water and first aid kits. In addition, it is important to make sure that items such as bookcases, TVs and cabinets are securely placed in homes, as they could collapse and cause damage or harm in the event of an earthquake.The University prides itself on its continuity — there are multiple plans in place that are exercised annually. The Departmental Business Continuity Plans ensures that every school and department on campus has a plan for conducting their business offline until city services are restored. The IT Disaster Recovery Plans requires that every IT department on campus having a plan for backing up and restoring critical IT functions should the campus lose power, infrastructure or server capacity. Finally, the University’s financial officers are prepared to exercise emergency purchasing powers, payroll and accounting functions if the need ever arises. Once a major emergency has been stabilized, the University has plans in place to ensure everything returns to normal as smoothly as possible.Steven Goldfarb, a fire safety and planning specialist from the USC Office of Fire Safety, said that the University is very prepared in case a major natural disaster ever hits campus.“USC has an extensive, award winning all-hazards emergency management program,” Goldfarb said. “All schools and departments participate in planning, training and drills to ensure we can respond to and recover from all types of emergencies including fires, power outages, floods, weather incidents and much more. The University also has extensive business continuity plans to ensure critical services will be available.”
The Bray lightweight is in the ring at around 3 this afternoon. Sara Treacy runs in the steeplechase final around 3.15 while Thomas Barr is in the 400 metres hurdles heats just before 4. Scott Evans plays in the last 16 of the men’s badminton while this evening Oliver Dingley competes in diving and Judy Reynolds is in the Dressage grand prix final at 2.
In sailing Annalise Murphy starts this evening’s medal race shortly after 5 o’clock from third position.She will win a bronze medal if she finishes in the top five or unless she finishes five positions behind Belgian Evi van Acker.Katie Taylor can seal a bronze medal with victory today against her Finish opponent Mira Potkonen.
World number one Dustin Johnson is out of the Masters at Augusta National after suffering a back injury in a fall at his rental home on Wednesday.The American, 32, looked set to take part after warming up on the range but he then withdrew on the first tee.The US Open champion fell on the stairs and hurt his lower back on Wednesday.“I’m playing the best golf of my life and to have a freak accident happen yesterday afternoon, it sucks really bad,” said Johnson. “I have been worked on all morning and obviously I can take some swings, but I can’t swing full, I can’t make my normal swing and I didn’t think there was any chance I could compete.”The 15-time PGA Tour winner added: “I was wearing socks and slipped and went down the three stairs. The left side of my lower back took the brunt of it and my left elbow is bruised as well.”Johnson’s caddie was placing the ball on his tee for him on the range, while coach Butch Harmon said pain hindered Johnson’s rest overnight.Shortly before his withdrawal, he progressed from hitting wedge shots on the range to fuller swings and his involvement looked likely as he made his way to the first tee for a scheduled 19:03 BST start alongside playing partners Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker.Johnson was a popular pick to win the first major of the year as a result of the fine form he has shown in 2017. He has won the past three tournaments in which he has competed – February’s Genesis Open, and both the WGC Mexico Championship and WGC Dell Match Play in March.As well as winning last year’s US Open by four shots, he finished ninth at the Open Championship and tied fourth at the Masters.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram