Poll Shows Montanans Want Natural Resource Development

As in prior surveys, the P-Base shows Montanans want to see more business growth, especially in high-wage businesses like the natural resource industries. For example, a record 75% of Montana voters want the state to encourage more timber, mining, oil & gas development while only 14% are opposed. 63% believe Montana’s environment is currently well protected with existing laws. Additionally, a strong 76% favor new development of coal-powered electrical generation to provide more long-term, low-cost energy for the state.

Omaha customers using electricity at record pace

The temperature outside may be going down, but the amount of electricity being used by customers of the Omaha Public Power District is going up. On Monday, December 15, the District set an unofficial record when electricity usage peaked at 1,664.4 megawatts between 6 and 7 p.m. That eclipses by a wide margin the old winter season mark of 1,573.2 megawatts set on April 30, 2007. The previous record was driven by unusually high air conditioning usage due to unseasonably warm weather in the District’s service territory.

Normally, electricity usage is lower during OPPD’s winter season, which runs from November through April. The summer season runs from May through October. The official record for the summer season is 2,271.9 megawatts, set on July 19, 2006.

Officials say the rising usage of electricity in winter shows the need for the new coal-fired power plant being built south of Nebraska City. During summer, OPPD can generate additional electricity using natural gas. In times of very cold temperatures, natural gas isn’t available to OPPD because it is needed to heat homes.

Edmonton News - Two minutes for trickery

Mark Brostrom, I know what you're doing. You can't fool me. Mark is the city's director of environmental policy and planning and he's trying to trick us. You can't fault Marko for his goal. He's trying to save the planet, but why the trickery?

Smack dab in the middle of the first big cold snap of the year, he's telling us that one or two minutes is plenty of time to warm up your vehicle. No, it's not. I know cause I've been driving in -30 C for 16 years.

I've been forced, on occasion, to drive my car-sicle without proper warm-up time and I've heard the groans, creaks and screams from under the hood as belts and fans and fluids heat up to a safe temperature.

I'm not a mechanic, but I know those noises can't be good for the safe operation of my ride. I'm guessing this two-minute warm-up time is the "ol' lowball".

You see, if Robby Redneck roasts his rig rocket for 27 minutes before heading up to Fort Mac, then this guy is hoping his two-minute warning won't result in an actual two-minute warm-up time, but maybe a reduction to about 10 minutes from 27. Follow?