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DBJ's Energy Quarterly looks at efficiency, solar thermal heat and more
The Denver Business Journal's Energy Quarterly takes a look at how businesses can save money by being more energy efficient; the possibility that solar thermal heat may be a better alternative for Colorado; and the University of Denver professor who is developing new materials for transmission lines that could save lives.
To read those stories and more, click on the headlines below.
For metro Denver, business energy savings all about the bulbs.
In Colorado, could solar thermal energy be a more… -
Houston M&A, led by energy, a boost to local economy
The billions in capital that companies spend on buying Houston players has to go somewhere — eventually, it’ll hit the local economy in some way, said Tim Moore, a Houston-based managing partner at accounting firm Doeren Mayhew PC.
“They’re willing to put that capital into the market, and a lot of these companies are getting bigger,” Moore said in a recent conversation, adding that Houston is, in an economic sense, significantly ahead of many other markets across the U.S.
“That’s… -
Women Up - Marcy Reed
When Marcy Reed joined National Grid more than 20 years ago, the former accountant thought she had found a stable position in corporate finance. Instead, she soon found herself exploring areas of the utility’s business where she never thought she would find herself. Before long, she was sent to Providence to run a sales force. She later served as chief financial officer of the utility’s trading company, where she oversaw the integration of Niagara Mohawk after a merger and later moved her family… -
For metro Denver, business energy savings all about the bulbs
Sometimes, making big cuts in energy use really is as easy as changing a light bulb.
Especially if a lot of businesses ditch their old light bulbs for new, energy efficient ones.
Business customers accounted for 56 percent of the total energy savings Xcel Energy Inc. achieved in 2012. And upgrading lighting systems accounted for 45 percent of all the energy saved among business customers, according to the utility.
“Lighting is one of the simplest ways that folks can save energy — and you usually… -
Alternative energy
From coast to coast, a liquefied natural gas highway is being built to fuel trucks that run on it. All told, 70 filling stations in 33 states should be built by the end of the year.
And while New York is not part of that plan – it’s the only state that doesn’t allow its storage and transportation – a bill in the New York Assembly could change that and mean more jobs and places to fuel up.
A bill sponsored by Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, refers to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative… -
What’s next for LNG exports after Freeport approval?
Although Freeport LNG Expansion LP has cleared a major hurdle in its path toward exporting liquefied natural gas to non-Free Trade Agreement countries, the Houston-based company cannot begin construction on an export terminal until it gets the blessing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The company is right behind Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE: LNG), also based in Houston, in the race to expand LNG exports.
FERC approved Cheniere’s plan for its Sabine Pass project last year, and more than… -
Valero execs see plenty of upside in spinning off logistics assets
San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp.’s pending decision to spin off its oil-transport assets into a separate partnership is not a done deal, but experts say industry trends suggest it’s highly likely.
Earlier this month, CEO Bill Klesse said the nation’s largest independent refiner is exploring the separation of up to $600 million in midstream assets, including pipelines, terminals, rail facilities and docks into a master limited partnership. It’s also considering a move of its 10 ethanol… -
Billionaires eyeing Houston stocks again
Hedge funds, led by billionaires and their bulky wallets, amassed positions in Houston companies in the first quarter, mirroring last year’s early shopping spree before a sell-off in the third quarter.
Five well-known billionaire investors bought or increased stakes in Houston-based companies, or those with a significant presence in the city, by $2.3 billion in the first quarter, compared to $143.7 million in stakes they sold, regulatory filings show.
That stands in sharp contrast to the third… -
Cameron plant closure no red flag, analyst says
Cameron International Corp.’s (NYSE: CAM) decision to close its Montgomery County manufacturing facility could be due to a consolidation on the heels of an acquisition, one analyst says.
Although the Houston-based oil and gas equipment, systems and services provider said it will terminate 88 employees when the facility closes July 15, the closure isn’t a big concern going forward, said Byron Pope, managing director at Houston-based Tudor Pickering Holt & Co.
Cameron could just be choosing to… -
In Colorado, could solar thermal energy be a more efficient answer?
The ability to produce electricity from sunlight via photovoltaic panels has garnered much attention in recent years.
But some say using the sun’s heat, via solar thermal technologies, is a better way to cut utility bills.
“Solar thermal is a mature technology that’s been around since the early 1980s,” said Laurent Mellion, partner and president of Lakewood-based Capitol Solar Energy LLC, a thermal-unit installer.
“And in Colorado, 75 percent of the energy that’s used by buildings…