Tag Archives: Economy

U.S. electric power source projections: solar still most by 2023

According to FERC’s own figures from 2012 and 2016, my solar projections from 2013 (and former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff’s) were pretty good, and more U.S. electricity will still come from solar power by 2023. LAKE Solar Table 2017 Since coal and nuclear are already crashing, and natural gas isn’t increasing even as fast as formerly projected, solar could win even faster.

I constructed table below from the 2012 and 2016 summaries of total U.S. electric power generation from all sources, by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Look at the 2012 column: only coal and natural gas generated more than 25% of total U.S. electricity.

But in 2016 it’s only natural gas, because coal’s growth rate actually turned negative: utilities are shutting down coal plants, not building them. Back in 2013 I did not predict that to happen so quickly.

Now look at the growth rates, both Continue reading →

Possible corporate takeover of CSX

CSX stock went up 29% in January on rumors of a corporate takeover. The same CSX that let a plume of toxic chemicals leak below its Rice Rail Yard in Waycross, including into the upper Suwannee River watershed. It’s not clear a corporate takeover would do anything to stop that, or other possible contamination in for example Valdosta.

John Burr, WJCT, 6 February 2017, Business Brief: CSX Board To Consider Possible Takeover Friday, Continue reading →

Videos: Turnberry, Seago, and Branham back again, 3 alcohol, and budget @ LCC 2017-01-10

The three rezonings back the agenda after being tabled were approved, tabled again, and denied. They meet again this morning at 8:30 AM to consider that tabled rezoning and other matters.

See also Continue reading →

Videos: Turnberry, Seago, and Branham back again, 3 alcohol, and budget @ LCC 2017-01-09

They vote tonight at 5:30 PM, and yesterday morning they reviewed the three rezonings back the agenda after being tabled last month. County Manager Joe Pritchard said staff would be sending Commissioners a list of upcoming board apointments so they could think of candidates. He didn’t say anything about showing that list to the public.

See also the LAKE videos of last November’s Planning Commission meeting for those three rezonings.

Below are links to LAKE videos from each item yesterday morning, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Turnberry, Seago, and Branham back again, 3 alcohol, and budget @ LCC 2017-01-09

Three rezonings are back from last month on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning at 8:30 AM.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

America’s largest college mutual fund VA529 owns Spectra Energy, a stranded investment

Parents and grandparents buy 529 college savings plans as safe investments, so VA529 chose poorly in Spectra Energy, the very risky company behind the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline now plowing through the Floridan Aquifer drinking water of south Alabama, Georgia, and all of Florida and under the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers against growing opposition. Maybe you’d like to mention that to Mary G. Morris, the Chief Executive Officer of Virginia529 College Savings Plan, the biggest mutual fund investor in both Spectra Energy and in Enbridge, which is buying Spectra. There’s a handy VA529 contact form or you can call or write:

1-804-371-0766
Toll-Free: 1-888-567-0540
9001 Arboretum Parkway
North Chesterfield, VA 23236

Spectra is so risky it just sold itself so Enbridge would take on about $22 billion of Spectra debt. Debt especially racked up since Continue reading →

Nature Nates parking and mailbox @ VLCIA 2016-11-15

5:30PM today, Nature Nate’s parking lot expansion and the never-ending mailbox controversy are back on the agenda for the Development Authority.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 pm
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

Continue reading →

Videos: South Georgia Alliance and BRAT @ VLCIA 2016-10-18

The Development Authority is twice as under budget as it is under revenue, and they expect tax collections to catch up in January. National Manufacturing Day had great local and national media coverage. Fussell Tire wants to build a warehouse with a non-coforming face towards St. Augustine Road; the board sent back a look askance. They’re also still feuding with the Post Office about mail delivery to Nature Nate, the only tenant in Miller Business Park.

Prospective businesses want to see communities that “have their arms wrapped around millenials”, including bike trails. Hm, what about water trails, asked WWALS president John S. Quarterman?

They lacked a quorum with Continue reading →

Wild Tourism Arts @ LCC 2016-10-24

Requested at the work session two weeks ago, and now on the agenda for Monday morning, a resolution for an arts district. That and reappoint Wild Adventures GM Molly Deese to the Tourism Authority, a public hearing on the 2016 updates to the Greater Lowndes Comprehensive Plan (even though they tabled it last time), and the usual Bid, surplus, and subdivision infrastructure sorts of items.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016,  5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Water, VSU bonds, 3 road abandonments, 1 widening, MIDS bus, Comprehensive Plan @ LCC 2016-10-11

Two weeks ago, County Manager Joe Pritchard announced that Commissioner Joyce Evans is now serving as Vice Chairman, yes, the resolution to approve the VSU bonds was requested by the South Regional Joint Development Authority (SRJDA), and John Stevens is the new VDT reporter. Citizen Shirley Moore said she’d like a connection to county water and sewer. They tabled the Comprehensive Plan update, apparently because the Commissioners wanted to “dig into it deeper”.

The rest was mostly approving what they already discussed the previous morning. They meet again Monday morning.

Below are links to each LAKE video with a few notes, followed by a video playlist.

Continue reading →