Otter Tail Power Company is planning to install advanced electric metering.
It has asked the North Dakota Public Service Commission for an “advance determination of prudence” for the project. If granted, it would make it easier for Otter Tail to seek financing for the project. Currently, 99 percent of Otter Tail s 7000 customer meters in North Dakota must be manually read, said Commissioner Brian Kroshus. It s 37,000 square miles of service territory.
Kroshus said Otter Tail projects $43 million in savings over the 20 year life of the project, becuase Otter Tail won t be sending people out into the field. Custoners will have access to usage information, which could lead to energy savings, with smart thermostats in thier homes, Kroshus said.
Regulators irked after lawmakers don t make North Dakota rail inspection program permanent
“There’s a lot literally a lot of moving parts on a train, and there’s a lot that can be missed,” said North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak. Written By: Adam Willis | ×
National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt views damaged oil cars after a BNSF train accident in 2013 in Casselton, N.D. National Transportation Safety Board / Special to The Forum
BISMARCK The North Dakota Legislature’s decision not to make permanent a railroad inspection
program that has identified
thousands
of train and track defects in the last six years remains a rub for state regulators who view its inspections as a safety
“There’s a lot literally a lot of moving parts on a train, and there’s a lot that can be missed,” said North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak.
Xcel Energy reaffirms 2021 EPS earnings guidance of $2.90 to $3.00.
Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) today reported 2021 first quarter GAAP and ongoing earnings of $362 million, or $0.67 per share, compared with $295 million, or $0.56 per share in the same period in 2020.
Earnings reflect higher electric and natural gas margins, which more than offset additional depreciation, interest charges and less allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC).
“Xcel Energy had a strong first quarter and we are reaffirming our expectation to deliver earnings within our annual guidance range,” said Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO. “We are also pleased to have achieved a significant milestone, reducing carbon emission 51% from 2005 levels, bringing us more than halfway to our vision of delivering 100% carbon-free electricity to our customers by 2050.”