Joining

Joining the ranks of other experts such as Colorado State University (CSU) forecasters William Gray and Philip Klotzbach who have been recently slashing their 2006 Atlantic hurricane activity predictions, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. downgraded its outlook last week for the second time in two months. WSI said it now expects the tropical season to have 13 named storms, six hurricanes and three intense hurricanes (Category 3 or greater).

Joining the ranks of forecasters who are slashing their 2006 Atlantic hurricane activity predictions, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. downgraded its outlook Wednesday for the second time in two months. WSI said it now expects the tropical season to have 13 named storms, six hurricanes and three intense hurricanes (Category 3 or greater).

Joining the current push in the utility industry to streamline its meter reading operations, Portland, OR-based Northwest Natural Gas Co. began Monday installing 60,000 of roughly a quarter-of-a-million customers with smart metering devices allowing meter-reading employees to collect data remotely from their vehicles while driving by customers’ premises. It’s a $3.8 million initial phase to a utilitywide program that eventually will outfit all of the utility’s gas meters with the cell-phone size devices.

Joining a number of other forecasters, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. said last week that it expects the summer to bring sizzling asphalt and ice cream trucks to a majority of the U.S. The company said it looks for the July-September period to average warmer-than-normal temps in most locations, with the exception of the northern and central Plains, which will experience cooler than normal weather.

Joining a number of other forecasters, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp. said Monday that it expects the summer will bring sizzling asphalt and ice cream trucks to a majority of the U.S. The company said it looks for the July-September period to average warmer-than-normal temps in most locations, with the exception of the northern and central Plains, which will experience cooler than normal weather.

Joining the ever-growing list of proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals aimed at serving U.S. markets, BP threw its hat into the crowded ring Thursday, announcing a planned terminal for southern New Jersey.

Joining the ever-growing list of proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals aimed at serving U.S. markets, BP threw its hat into the crowded ring Thursday, announcing a planned terminal for southern New Jersey.

With nearly all areas outside a strip along the Gulf Coast and parts of the Southwest doing some serious chilling out Tuesday, prices again made big gains. Although the Northwest relaxed a bit from the dollar-plus upticks it had seen Monday, Tuesday’s strength was more solidly based because of significantly larger advances in non-Northeast markets and a lack of weakness in the West.

Joining the growing pile of abandoned plans for new power plants in California, the City of Roseville, about 30 miles east of Sacramento, last week terminated its agreement with part of Enron Corp. to develop a 750-900 MW power plant in Placer County. The action has officials in the counties in and around the state capital worried about new sources of power for the future.