The Johnston County Building Inspections Department will be open Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. for residents who have storm damage that requires a permit for electrical reconnections.
The department is at the Johnston County Land Use Center at 309 East Market Street in Smithfield. The main entrance is at the rear of the building.
If you have questions during those hours Sunday, or between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, contact the department at (919) 989-5060.
There is a new fishing tournament that challenges the notion that electricity and water don't mix.
In conjunction with the Earth Day weekend, an all-electric fishing tournament will be held on Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, N.C.. The hook for sponsor Carolina Electric Boats is to spotlight sustainable outdoor activities.
"The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and support of renewable, sustainable practices on our waters while participating in what, for over the past century, has been a fossil fuel-powered pursuit," said CEB in a statement released Tuesday.
Frank Jones, President of Carolina Electric Boats, says the company plans to make the tournament an annual event.
Federal energy officials awarded a $5.15 million, three-year grant to a group led by Durham-based Cree that's working on new "smart grid" technology.
Cree's partners include researchers at N.C. State, ABB and Powerex. Most of the money will go to Cree, which is developing a new semiconductor device. N.C. State announced it will receive about $750,000 of the grant.
The grant is the latest from the U.S. Department of Energy to reach the Triangle. N.C. State has gotten money from previous grants related to electricity grids and renewable energy.
The term "smart grid" refers to a digital system that's expected to improve how electricity is delivered, and allow utilities to store power from renewable resources such as solar and wind.
Siemens Energy plans to expand its Wendell operations and add 139 high-paying jobs over the next four years.
State officials today approved a grant and tax credits worth as much as $2.9 million, which Siemens will receive if it meets hiring goals.
The company also will be required to retain 262 existing jobs. The Wendell facility is involved with developing smart grid technology, and is seeing a surge in demand.
The new jobs will pay average annual salaries of $88,883. That's higher than the Wake County average of $42,692, Gov. Bev Perdue's office noted in a news release.
Duke Energy announced a strong first quarter today, thanks to rate increases, unusually cold weather and higher sales.
The Charlotte-based utility earned $445 million, 34 cents a share, the Charlotte Observer reports. That compared to 27 cents on $344 million in profit for the first quarter of 2009. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected earnings of 32 cents a share.
The company is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with 4 million customers in five states, including 1.8 million in North Carolina. That includes more than 160,000 customers in Durham, Chapel Hill and the western Triangle.
Electricity sales are viewed as good indicators of how well businesses are performing and the broader economy.
“We are seeing signs of economic stabilization, but we are mindful of the high levels of unemployment that still exist in our service territories,” CEO Jim Rogers said in a statement.
Getting themselves all toasty this morning against the sub-freezing weather, Progress Energy customers set a new wintertime record for electricity demand.
The Raleigh-based electric utility said that as temperatures dipped into the teens between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., customers in the Carolinas drew 12,504 megawatt hours of electricity. That total edged out the previous winter record from three years ago.
But this morning's winter peak-demand record was not enough to beat the all-time high set on Aug. 9, 2007, when the state baked at above 100 degrees and customers used 12,656 megawatt hours of power.
As a cold spell chills the Triangle, here's a reminder that might warm the hearts of homeowners.
On Dec. 1, Progress Energy reduced its rates for the first time in five years, meaning that the usual increase on electricity bills during the winter months will be tempered slightly.
But don't celebrate too much and keep your sweater on. The average bill for a household using 1,000 kilowatts hours a month dropped by about 35 cents, or $4.20 a year.
The reduction reflects the lower costs that the Raleigh-based utility pays for coal and other fuels. And it's only a tiny reversal of surging energy prices in recent years. In 2008, Progress Energy raised rates about $10 a month.
Homeowners that use natural gas for heat also are getting a break this winter. PSNC Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas have both cut rates in recent months to reflect declining prices for that fuel. PSNC is now charging about 28 percent less than a year ago, shaving $38 a month off the typical home bill.
The news isn't as rosy for thousands of customers in the western Triangle that get power from Duke Energy. The Charlotte-based utility raised its rates about $7 a month on Jan. 1.
Progress Energy plans to shut down three coal-fired power plants in Wayne County, southeast of Raleigh, and build a natural gas-fueled plant at the site.
The $900 million project would increase the amount of electricity produced at the site while reducing pollution, the Raleigh-based utility announced today.
The proposal requires approval by the N.C. Utilities Commission. But last month state lawmakers passed a bill that will give Progress a streamlined certification process.
A small bright spot for strapped consumers: Progress Energy plans a bigger rate reduction than originally proposed to account for declining fuel costs.
The Raleigh utility in June announced plans to cut rates about 10 cents a month for the average household starting Dec. 1. But after gathering additional cost information, Progress today filed to reduce rates an additional 24 cents a month.
The net savings, if approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission, would be $4.08 a year. The average monthly bill would drop to $106.44, down from $106.78 now.
Electric utilities are allowed to pass along the cost of coal and other fuel, and adjust them annually. Fuel costs have surged in the past five years, but have fallen recently as recession weakens global demand.
Progress Energy’s second-quarter earnings slipped as the recession saps energy use but the power company has maintained performance with aggressive cost-cutting measures.
The Raleigh-based electric utility reported ongoing earnings of 64 cents a share, or $181 million, down from 76 cents for the same three-month period a year ago. The company’s performance for April, May and June fell short of analysts’ expectations of 67 cents a share.
“Despite the lingering effects of the economic recession, our company has performed well,” CEO Bill Johnson said in a statement.
