A recent article in the Hartford Business Journal highlights “a key tool in [Connecticut] Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed $7 billion expansion of the natural gas home heating system” – allowing homeowners to pay for conversion and upgrade costs through financing on their electric or natural gas bills. Converting from expensive home-heating oil to natural gas offers significant savings to homeowners in the Northeastern United States, as natural gas costs far less per BTU. However, the upgrade costs can reach into the thousands of dollars. Allowing homeowners to pay those costs over time as a portion of their utility bill will allow many more to consider converting, and could improve the environment as well, as natural gas burns cleaner. Contact Us
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Analysts: Natural Gas Prices Look Stable through 2032
A new report by Black & Veatch’s Energy Market Perspective recently predicted natural gas prices will stay below $6/MMBtu through the year 2032, a remarkable period of stability for a fuel that is expected to be used in increasingly greater capacities as time goes on. The article, referenced from the CNG Commercial Connection, goes on to say “the company believes natural gas-fueled electric generation will increase by more than 100 percent and will represent 50 percent, or more, of all electricity consumed. Coal-fired generation will decrease by 40 percent. Natural gas was 52 percent of new capacity (6.8 gigawatts) in 2013, according to ScottMadden.” Contact Us
Natural Gas in Connecticut – It’s a capacity problem…
Connecticut, federal officials discuss need for more natural gas 04/22/2014 – 1:17 AM EDT HARTFORD >> U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz used a whirlwind trip to southern New England to voice his support for efforts to end capacity problems with natural gas transmission lines in New England. Moniz visited Providence Monday morning and came to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection headquarters in the afternoon as energy industry officials discussed the need to bring more natural gas into the region. The two events were part of the federal agency’s Quadrennial Energy Review. Moniz was joined by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, as well as Connecticut’s U.S. Reps. John Larson, D-1, and Elizabeth Esty, D-5. “The energy discussion in New England really centers around infrastructure constraints,” Moniz…
A Harsh Winter Leads to Massive Energy Costs
According to an article in the Hartford Business Journal, “New England businesses and residents have almost spent as much money money on heat and power this winter than [sic] they did in all of 2012 combined.” [emphasis mine] The New England region’s winter heating and electricity tab ran north of $5 billion dollars during the period from December to February, reflecting the reality of one of the coldest winter seasons the area has seen in recent memory. Cold weather, coupled with high demand for a limited amount of natural gas added to the increased costs. The article goes on to state, “by comparison, in 2012, the cost of heating and electricity for all 12 months was $5.2 billion.” The numbers, while not directly tied to oil…
Natural Gas Capacity increases 2% in 2013
Interesting website that provides Statistics and Analysis on Energy… www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=15231 Contact Us
Connecticut Businesses, Residents saved $53M through 2013 efficiency
A recent article in the Hartford Business Journal highlighted Connecticut businesses, residents, and municipalities saving over $53 million dollars annually in 2013 due to energy efficiency improvements. More than 4,000 businesses and municipalities participated in energy-savings programs last year, saving just under half of the $53 million dollar total. A big-dollar energy savings program can be put in place by converting businesses from oil to natural gas. Governor Malloy has pledged support to bring natural gas to hundreds of thousands of locations in Connecticut where it is not currently available. ETTER Engineering has a long history of oil-to-gas conversions and is ready to assist your business in evaluating the ROI on converting to clean-burning natural gas. Give us a call today at 800-444-1962 to discuss…
Nearly Every Manufacturer in the U.S. Will Benefit From Low-Cost Natural Gas
A new analysis by The Boston Consulting Group finds that cheap domestic energy is increasing the U.S. cost advantage in a wide range of industries, improving U.S. competitiveness. The cost advantage has already started to boost investment and employment and will persist for at least five years. The energy cost advantage is amplified by the fact that overall U.S. manufacturing competitiveness is already improving owing to relatively low labor costs compared with those of other developed economies, rapidly rising wages in China, and high productivity. “Several major forces are aligning right now that are dramatically reversing the fortunes of a U.S. manufacturing sector that many gave up for dead just a few years ago,” said Harold L. Sirkin, a BCG senior partner and a coauthor…
Brace yourself for your next Utility Bill
Millions of Americans could be in for a surprise when they get their next heating bill. Some of the nation’s largest utilities say energy bills will be significantly higher in February following a string of big snow storms that blanketed the Northeast and Midwest last month. Con Edison (ED, Fortune 500), which supplies gas and electricity to 3 million people living in New York City and surrounding areas, expects February heating bills for the typical household to increase more than 16% from last year. And it’s not just heating bills that are going up. Con Ed said the recent price surge in natural gas, which is used to generate power, will lead to a 22% spike in electricity bills this month. In Michigan, DTE Energy (DTE, Fortune 500) said gas bills will…
Natural Gas gets high praise from Obama SOTU address
President Obama SOTU address shone a spotlight on natural gas production and the contribution of natural gas towards U.S. energy independence. Below is an excerpt from the SOTU address: Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The “all the above” energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today America is closer to energy independence than we have been in decades. One of the reasons why is natural gas. If extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost a hundred billion dollars in new factories that use natural gas. I’ll cut red tape to…
More Connecticut Companies Upgrading to Natural Gas
A recent article from Hartford Business.com highlights the continued march towards natural gas conversions throughout the Northeast. The Hartford Steam Company has been heating and cooling businesses and residential buildings throughout downtown Hartford for 52 years, yet they are faced with the same realities as many other alternative-heating companies today: Natural Gas is cheaper. According to the article, State House Square’s contract with Hartford Steam expires on Feb. 1st, and the manager of the building is “99.9% sure” they will be switching to an in-house natural gas system. With a $500,000 energy efficiency grant from the State and $1.5 million in annual energy cost savings, the ROI on the nearly $7 million project will be roughly 4 years. State House Square’s decision is just one of…