Wind Farm's Out, and Casino May Be In for New Bedford Waterfront

The whaling and textile industries once made New Bedford, Massachusetts, one of the wealthiest cities in the world. But now with one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, the city is struggling.

It seemed like some of its problems would be solved by wind energy. New Bedford was to house the assembly of the country’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, Cape Wind.

“Offshore wind is important to New Bedford because it holds the potential to rebuild our economic base and grow jobs that can support families and make the community stronger,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell told WBUR.

However, Cape Wind has not been without its problems, and last month it ended its lease contract with New Bedford. According to WBUR:

The project needed so-called power purchase agreements to work. In exchange for a green light from Patrick on a pending merger, Eversource Energy, formerly NStar, had agreed to buy a quarter of Cape Wind’s power. National Grid was in for another 50 percent.

But in January both companies ended their purchase agreements, effectively sinking the project days before Patrick would leave office. They cited Cape Wind’s failure to meet financing and construction goals. The next blow was to New Bedford, when Cape Wind ended a $4.5 million contract to lease the terminal.

The terminal created for Cape Wind’s construction has cost $113 million, and it’s now without a tenant.

As for creating more jobs, WBUR reports that New Bedford is waiting on approval for Massachusetts’ final gambling license. In March, the city signed a host agreement for a $650 million casino on the waterfront.

Jenn Stanley is a freelance journalist, essayist and independent producer living in Chicago. She has an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Follow @jennstanley_

Wind Farm"s Out, and Casino May Be In for New Bedford Waterfront

News Buzz: Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ ...

On Thursday shares of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) closed at $57.94. Company’s sales growth for last 5 years was 14.00% and EPS growth for next 5 years is recorded as 17.00%. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has invested into rival FanDuel Inc., which is the biggest single-game fantasy sports platform. It also advertises on ESPN, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) in last trading activity moved up 0.91% to close at $36.63. Company weekly performance is 4.87% while its quarterly performance stands at 1.27%. Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is -6.31% away from its 52 week high. Kraft Foods Group Inc (NASDAQ:KRFT) and Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ) are being charged by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for manipulating the price of cash wheat and wheat future for their personal gain.

UPDATED: See Today’s Top 50 Trending Stocks

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (YGE) released its most recent earnings report last week, which underperformed compared to analysts’ expectations. Yingli Solar’s stock price has fallen over 50% since the end of June, partly because of declining oil prices. Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE:YGE) in last trading activity fell -0.53% to close at $1.86. Company weekly performance is -7.00% while its quarterly performance stands at -20.85%. Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE:YGE) is -61.89% away from its 52 week high.

ClubCorp Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:MYCC) has 2.80% insider ownership while its institutional ownership stands at 96.10%. In last trading activity company’s stock closed at $19.23. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of ClubCorp Holdings (NYSE:MYCC) in a research note issued to investors. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock.

On last trading day PTC Inc. (NASDAQ:PTC) moved up 1.00% to close at $36.51. Its volatility for the week is 1.56% while volatility for the month is 2.30%. PTC’s sales growth for past 5 years was 7.70% and its EPS growth for past 5 years was 37.80%. PTC Inc. (NASDAQ:PTC) monthly performance is 8.56%. On 26 March 2015, PTC Inc. (NASDAQ:PTC) announced that Robert Schechter has assumed the role of chairman of the company’s Board of Directors. Schechter succeeds Donald Grierson, who will continue to serve on PTC’s board.

Tags: ClubCorp Holdings, CMCSA, Comcast Corporation, Inc., MDLZ, Mondelez International, MYCC, NASDAQ:CMCSA, NASDAQ:MDLZ, NASDAQ:PTC, NYSE:MYCC, NYSE:YGE, PTC, PTC Inc, YGE, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd.

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News Buzz: Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ ...

Steps to keep your home allergen-free this spring

Q • What are the best ways to prepare my home for allergy season?

A • Spring is in the air, bringing beautiful blooms and pollen that can cause headaches for allergy sufferers. Take a few extra precautions to keep your home clean and reduce indoor allergens this spring.

Shutting windows and doors are not the only way to stop pollen and dust from coming inside. Choose the right air filter for your furnace to filter allergen particles. Several types and levels of filtration are available. Filters are rated using a Filter Performance Rating scale, with 1 being the lowest filtration level and 10 being the highest. For homes with severe allergy sufferers, use an FPR 10 filter to remove virtually all particles from the air when the furnace or air conditioner is running.

In addition to getting rid of airborne particles, it is also important to clean dust and pollen off of your surfaces correctly. Microfiber towels and static cling dusters hold the particles rather than releasing them into the air. The right vacuum can also make a big difference. Choose a sealed system vacuum such as the Shark Navigator to filter the air while vacuuming and stop particles from being released into the air. Be sure to stop dust, pollen and dirt at the door by using two doormats, one outside and one inside.

Spring showers and rising humidity levels outdoors create the perfect conditions for mold and mildew, especially in damp areas in the home. Mold spores are among the most harmful allergens and can be difficult to remove. Begin cleaning and treating for mold in the shower or bath, or anywhere that is wet for extended periods of time. Black spots often grow in the caulk or in crevices in your shower. Left untreated, the mold can grow into a much larger issue. Use a mold- and mildew-specific cleaner to immediately stop the growth of the mold. It is always a good idea to recaulk the area using a product with Microban to inhibit future mold growth. For other areas of the home, use a mold test kit to help identify problem spots.

Ensuring your home is clean and allergen-free during the spring can help allergy sufferers sleep better and provide a place to recover from the outdoors during the season. By following these steps, you and your family can have a more enjoyable spring at home.

Steps to keep your home allergen-free this spring

Continuing Our Focus on Solar Energy

Chris Evans
April 03, 2015
06:51 PM EDT

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Today, President Obama visited Hill Air Force Base in Salt Lake City, Utah to host a roundtable on clean energy, tour solar installations on the base, and talk about the importance of clean energy jobs.

With the United States generating 20 times more solar electricity than when the President took office, we’ve made substantial progress — and in his remarks today, the President announced more actions to drive growth in the solar industry while supporting our nation’s veterans.

“What I’m doing here today is to highlight the fact that the solar industry is actually adding jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy,” President Obama said. “They’re good-paying jobs that are helping folks enter into the middle class. And today, the President announced three new actions to build on this progress.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on renewable energy, the economy, and labor in front of a solar array at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, April 3, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First, he announced a new goal to train 75,000 people to enter the solar workforce by 2020, an increase on our previous goal of 50,000 solar workers. To reach this goal, the Department of Energy launched their SunShot Initiative’s Solar Instructor Training Network, which has trained 1,000 certified solar instructors and nearly 30,000 students nationwide in the last five years.

Second, the President announced the launch of a Solar Ready Vets Program. This initiative will train transitioning military service personnel, including those stationed at the Hill Air Force Base, for careers in the quickly growing solar industry. Service members will learn how to size and install solar panels, connect electricity to the grid, and comply with local building codes, making them employable in our 21st-century job market.

Finally, the President announced new ways in which more veterans can use the post-9/11 GI Bill for solar jobs training. “I’ve said it before, and I think employers are starting to catch on, if you really want to get the job done, hire a veteran,” President Obama said. More than 30 percent of the federal workforce is now made up of veterans, and this new initiative will enable more veterans to use their GI Bill benefits to participate in job-driven training programs through local community colleges. This gives veterans across the country the opportunity to quickly learn the skills needed for good-paying jobs in the solar industry.

These new initiatives will allow us to keep our economy growing, create even more new jobs, and generate opportunities for our veterans and more middle-class Americans.

Learn more about the President’s new solar initiatives and how they’ll support our veterans.

President Barack Obama, with Col. Ronald E. Jolly, Commander, 75th Air Base Wing, tours the solar array at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, April 3, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Chris Evans is an intern in the White House Office of Digital Strategy.

Related Topics: Energy and Environment, Utah

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Continuing Our Focus on Solar Energy

Area leaders address need for renewable energy bill

On March 19, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee passed two significant components of the responsible Minnesota Clean Energy Plan — a policy improving the state’s Renewable Energy Standard to 40 percent by 2030 and the yearly energy savings goal from 1.5 to 2 percent.

Eric Steen, director of communications at Blue Green Alliance, explained to the group why he believes wind energy is the state’s best option for energy. He said that wind energy has saved Minnesota more than 30 billion gallons of water since 2004, and 7.5 billion of that is in the Worthington area alone.

“I lived in Springfield for a number of years, and my lawn was always as brown as it could be because water is tough to come by,” Steen said. “We should be trying to save it by using renewable energy.”

Another clean energy campaign member, Brad Haupert, works as a site supervisor for Vestas-American Wind Technology Inc. Haupert described how wind energy is not only good for the environment but creates needed jobs.

Haupert said that there are currently more than 2,000 people in Minnesota who work in the wind industry. Minnesota Vestas currently employs more than 60 people, operating and maintaining more than 450 wind turbines with another 200 planned for 2015. He said adding those turbines will create another 20 jobs in the state of Minnesota alone.

“They are good long-term jobs in rural communities. So you don’t have to live in a metropolitan area to have a good job with good benefits,” Haupert said. “That is probably the main point that hits home with me, because I am able to stay in the area that I grew up in, and I am able to have a good job and provide for my family. The wind turbines are going to stay on the ground. They are going to have to be serviced year after year, and that will keep people employed here.”

Among other supporters of the Minnesota Clean Energy Plan was Jim Nichols, a Lake Benton farmer, former Lincoln County commissioner, former Minnesota state senator and former Minnesota secretary of agriculture.

Nichols urged the importance of having renewable energy in the state. He pointed out how the state has grown in the wind energy industry and how he believes that has helped the state.

“Twenty years ago, we didn’t produce any energy in Minnesota — no ethanol, no wind, nothing,” Nichols said. “Now look what we produced and the jobs that it has created … One reason why our (state’s) economy is better than other states is because we have all these renewable energy jobs.”

Nichols continued by explained why he believes wind energy is better than oil. He said that a wind turbine produces more energy than an oil well.

“A barrel of oil produces 5.8 million British thermal units of energy. … A 1.5 megawatt wind turbine at 40 percent capacity produces 65 million Btu of energy per day,” Nichols said. “You don’t have to refine it, you don’t have to put it on a rail car through Minneapolis … all you have to do to use it is flip your light switch. We have struck oil (with wind energy), and North Dakota will be pumped dry in 27 years. … The best thing about my wind turbine is it will never run dry.”

The last speaker was Adyiam Kimbrough, a senior at Worthington High School. Kimbrough is in favor of the Clean Energy Plan because she wants her generation’s future to be sustainable.

“I want to have a sustainable Earth for the future generations, and my kids and my kids’ kids to live in a (place) as good as I have it or, hopefully, even better than I have it,” Kimbrough said.

The Minnesota Clean Energy Plan is part of the omnibus bill (Senate File 1431) that will make its way to the state senate floor and be voted on sometime in April.

Area leaders address need for renewable energy bill

Stock Watch: Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI)

Wall Street analysts have placed a target price of $40.333 for Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI). This number is based on the mean consensus estimate from the 3 research firms that recently issued reports on the stock.

The average broker recommendation is arithmetical average of the individual ratings contributed by sell-side analysts to produce a Consensus Analyst Rating for each stock. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is a Strong Buy and 5 is a Strong Sell, has the stock ranked 3.11 based on 3 broker recommendations. Of the 3 analysts who have issued estimates, the most bullish sees the stock reaching $43 within the next 12 months while the most conservative sees the stock at $38 within the year.

According to analysts, Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) is expected to report earnings per share for the current fiscal quarter of $0.45. This is the consensus mean estimate based on the individual covering sell-side analysts\’ reported numbers. The company last reported earnings for the period ending on 2015-01-31 of $0.37. The reported number was 0 away from the consensus estimate, or a surprise factor of 0 .

In looking at the long term growth prospects of the company, sell-side analysts have a consensus mean earnings per share estimate for the current year of $0.98. The high end estimate for this time frame is $1.06 with the low being $0.92.

Donaldson Company, Inc. (Donaldson) is a worldwide manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts. The Company’s product mix includes air and liquid filtration systems and exhaust and emission control products. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Products and Industrial Products. Products in the Engine Products segment consist of air filtration systems, exhaust and emissions systems, liquid filtration systems, and replacement filters. Products in the Industrial Products segment consist of dust, fume, and mist collectors, compressed air purification systems, air filtration systems for gas turbines, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane-based products, and specialized air filtration systems for applications including computer hard disk drives. Donaldson’s products are manufactured at 40 plants around the world and through three joint ventures.

Stock Watch: Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI)

GWEC flags LatAm wind-power potential – and challenges

Brazil, Chile and Mexico are the trio of Latin American nations the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) expects to show good growth potential over the next five years – but the body also flags up the need for progress in areas such as grid-integration, regulation and logistics if they are to fulfil that potential.

From 3.7GW of new wind capacity in 2014, the Latin America and Caribbean region – excluding Mexico – should top 5GW as an annual average through 2019, says GWEC’s annual market update.

In cumulative terms, it should reach 2019 with 33.5GW installed – a 294% increase from the 8.5GW in place at the end of 2014.

Mexico, which falls into North America for GWEC’s purposes, will be helped by recent energy reforms and the introduction of an auction system as it attempts to meet its 2024 target to obtain 35% of its power from renewables, half of that from wind.

According to GWEC’s report, there are still some regulatory barriers that need to be overcome by the Mexicans, such as the establishing of an independent national grid operator and annual targets. The council sees 9.5GW of wind installed in the country by 2018 up from 2.6GW in 2014.

Brazil, which has already contracted over 11GW in recent auctions, will continue to lead the region. Despite economic and political problems, it should remain strong as it continues to build already-contracted wind projects, and as the government has signaled continuation of such policies.

The sector, however, will need to overcome the logistics problems of transporting turbines and components across thousands of kilometres on bad roads to wind farm sites, and increase training of personnel.

By 2017, wind in Brazil should surpass gas-fired generation to become the second power source in the country, and add 12GW-13GW by 2019.

Chile is also a fast-growth country. After having installed a record 506MW in 2014, it started 2015 with 836MW spinning. The Chilean government has reaffirmed a 2025 target to obtain 20% of its power from renewables, and has reformed power regulations to improve contract conditions at auctions.

By 2019, GWEC expects Chile to add 300MW to 400MW a year from a pipeline of 5.2GW, but it also has to solve some regulatory problems and expand its transmission grid to accommodate the new wind projects.

The GWEC report also mentions Uruguay, which continues to surprise with fast growth and is set to reach its renewable targets soon. In 2014 alone, the 3.4 million Uruguayans saw 405MW of new wind being installed – almost 10 times the 56MW spinning at the end of 2013.

Elsewhere, Peru should restart its stalled renewables projects through auctions this year, while in Central America, Panama and Costa Rica are leading the way.

Argentina, with 53MW installed in 2014 and around 270MW cumulative wind, continues to drag the region down despite its huge untapped resources.

According to GWEC, unless there is a change in government and energy policies, the country’s wind power sector is not expected to take off any time soon.

GWEC flags LatAm wind-power potential – and challenges