South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to hold public hearing on Keystone XL pipeline

November 3rd, 2009 Nevada utility panel taking public comment in RenoRENO, Nev. — Nevada state utility regulators plan a public meeting in Reno to hear from residents about electric, gas, telephone, railroad and water service in northern Nevada.

November 2nd, 2009 Developers abandon plan for SD power plantDevelopers of a $1.6 billion electric power plant in northeastern South Dakota abandoned the project Monday, saying they were unable to recruit other investors after one of the principal utility backers pulled out. The Big Stone II plant, planned for construction next to an existing power station near Milbank, S.D., was meant to supply about 550 megawatts of power to utilities in North Dakota, South Dakota and southern Minnesota.

November 2nd, 2009 SD commission begins Keystone oil pipeline hearingPIERRE, S.D. — A crude oil pipeline that TransCanada Keystone wants to build across western South Dakota would face medical, housing and supply challenges because the areas it would run through are remote and sparsely populated, a company official said Monday.

October 26th, 2009 ND electric settlement includes customer refundBISMARCK, N.D. — A proposed settlement of an Otter Tail Power electric rate case includes almost $865,000 in refunds to North Dakota customers, who have been paying higher electric charges since January.

October 21st, 2009 NC electric regulators delay Duke rate hearingRALEIGH, N.C. — A hearing by electric regulators on Duke Energy Corp.'s request to raise its base rates in North Carolina has been delayed.

October 20th, 2009 ND defies predictions with record oil productionBISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota is again setting monthly oil production records and may be on pace to set a record for the year, state and industry officials said Tuesday.

September 11th, 2009 Lead utility drops out of Big Stone IIMINNEAPOLIS — The utility leading an effort to build a $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant in South Dakota pulled out of the project Friday, citing the economic downturn and uncertainty about climate change legislation to regulate carbon emissions. The decision by Minnesota-based Otter Tail Power Co.

September 3rd, 2009 Atlas Pipeline fills key postPHILADELPHIA — Atlas Pipeline Partners LP said Thursday that Eric Kalamaras will fill two key positions for the company. Kalamaras was appointed as chief financial officer for both Atlas Pipeline Partners GP LLC, the company's general partner, and Atlas Pipeline Holdings GP LLC, which is the general partner of Atlas Pipeline Holdings LP.

August 20th, 2009 ND burns off natural gas due to lack of pipelinesBISMARCK, N.D. — Enough natural gas to heat every home in North Dakota through at least two brutal winters was burned off as an unmarketable byproduct in the state's oil patch in 2008, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

August 20th, 2009 Mont.: Qwest asked to reconsider Internet grantHELENA, Mont. — Public Service Commission leaders are asking Qwest to take another look at a federal grant aimed at bringing broadband Internet to underserved areas like rural Montana.

July 31st, 2009 SEOUL - South Korea will import Russian gas as part of a $100-billion pact signed by the two countries in September last year, WAM news agency reported Friday. South Korean Economy Minister Lee Yoon-ho will visit Russia in August to discuss the matter in detail, the report said.

July 16th, 2009 Gates Foundation offers $6.5 million for librariesSEATTLE — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is announcing $6.5 million in grants to help public libraries in 11 states improve the quality of the free computer access they offer. The money announced Thursday will pay for computer hardware updates at some of the 800 library branches in Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

June 16th, 2009 TransCanada issues $1.41 billion common sharesNEW YORK — TransCanada Corp. says it will issue common shares worth 1.6 billion Canadian dollars ($1.41 billion) to help fund its acquisition of an oil pipeline.

June 12th, 2009 Utilities profit from lower electricity salesDuke Energy Co. reached a deal with environmental groups Friday that allow the power generator to charge customers more money even if they use less electricity.

June 4th, 2009 ND regulators seek rule change on wind power costsBISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota's wind development boom may force utility customers to pay higher electric bills unless rules on sharing transmission costs are changed, state regulators say.