Business news with words plans+power. 60 or more news.

Westar Energy still plans to pursue three wind-power projects, but says an order from state regulators curtailing its potential profits will prevent it from investing in additional wind farms. Westar had hoped regulators would allow it to earn higher profits because of its investment in 295 megawatts of generating capacity from wind farms in three counties. That's enough to power about 88,000 homes. The Kansas Corporation Commission said Thursday that the Topeka-based utility would be allowed to recover up to $282 million in construction costs through its rates. But the commission refused an additional 1 percent increase in the profits Westar can earn from wind energy. Westar had said it would pursue projects for an additional 200 megawatts of wind-generated capacity. But Bill Moore, the utility's president and chief executive, said Friday that those plans are on hold indefinitely.

Energy Northwest is abandoning plans to consider injecting some carbon dioxide emissions underground at its proposed Pacific Mountain Energy Center near Kalama. The 793-megawatt project initially was touted as a candidate for the country's first large-scale power station that wo …

GERMAN companies, including Bayer AG and MTU Aero Engines Holding AG, plan to hire more workers and increase investment next year even as growth in Europe's largest economy slows. Nineteen of the 29 German companies that participated in an annual Bloomberg News survey yesterday said they intend to hire staff next year. Thirteen out of the 15 that commented on investment plans said they will spend as much or more than this year. Most participants expect the economy to slow. Executives expect the economy to keep expanding as the lowest unemployment rate in more than 14 years encourages consumer spending and demand from emerging economies such as China and east Europe fuels sales abroad. The euro's 10-percent increase against the US dollar in the past year has made exports less competitive, record oil prices have sapped consumers' purchasing power and a credit squeeze has pushed up borrowing costs. "Germany's business sector is rather confident about the new year despite the

Clean coal-fired power plants have been touted as a remedy for an environmentally challenged age, offering the promise of turning ...

INDUSTRIAL and consumer stocks lifted the Shanghai index today on speculation these companies will be most resistant to government plans to rein in economic growth and asset prices. The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks yuan-denominated A shares and hard-currency B shares, inched up 0.62 percent, or 32.17 points, to 5,233.35 at 3pm today. Winners in the Shanghai market outnumbered losers 664 to 93 and 89 were unchanged. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which covers the smaller mainland stock market, gained 1.65 percent, or 23.25 points, to 1,433.06. Datang Power, China's second-biggest electricity producer by market value, led the gain among industrial stocks today. Datang Power surged 8.55 percent, or 1.48 yuan (20 US cents), to 18.79 yuan, extending a six-day, 12 percent gain. Huaneng Power International Inc, the listed unit of China's largest power group, added 0.16 percent, or 1.1 yuan, to 15.01 yuan. Consumer companies also rose today as investors switched stocks

UK group plans to dismiss informal approach from Austrian investor to buy the its coal and power generation units as rising coal prices boost prospects

Footsoldiers for billionaire investor Warren Buffett will be in Payette, Idaho, northwest of Boise Thursday night. They're briefing local residents on a nuclear power plant they want to build near the Idaho-Oregon border.

Shell and StatoilHydro have scrapped plans to build a green power plant that would capture and store carbon dioxide because the project was found to be uneconomic.

Curbing dangerous nuclear technologies gets trickier WHEN Russia announced it had started shipping low-enriched uranium fuel to power the civilian nuclear reactor it is helping Iran build at Bushehr, George Bush tried to squeeze some comfort out of a piece of news which--for the international effort to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions--was a disappointing about-turn. "If the Iranians accept that [Russian] uranium for a civilian power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich," he said on December 17th. True, in theory. But Iran refuses to follow such logic. By making long-delayed fuel shipments to Bushehr now, Russia will weaken further the UN Security Council effort to end Iran's defiance. It also risks undermining plans to limit the spread of dangerous nuclear technologies at a time when many governments, including a number in the volatile Middle East, plan to invest in nuclear power. ...

A government and industry research project to learn ways to burn coal without emitting global warming gases is taking a major step forward Tuesday with an announcement on where the futuristic power plant will be built -- in Texas or Illinois.

DRAX, which runs the UK's biggest coal-fired power station near Selby, disappointed shareholders yesterday with the news it has abandoned refinancing plans and profits wi

Drax, which runs the UK's largest coal-fired power station, has become the latest victim of the credit crunch after being forced to pull its refinancing plans.

Shares in Drax plummeted yesterday after the operator of the UK's largest coal-fired power plant said the ongoing global credit crisis had forced it to cancel a planned refinancing.

The chain was almost brought to its knees by debt. Bill Grimsey, brought in to sort out the mess, tells Helen Power about his 100-day plans.

Mobile handset giant Nokia plans to open a three-floor retail shop on Regent Street early next year. The shiny, shocking blue outlet will change more than just the face of the 19th century building previously occupied by the Dickins & Jones department store, which closed last year. The West End shop, across the street from the Apple store, will signal a reversal of power in the $730bn (361bn) mobile industry, away from operators and towards handset and internet companies.

New plans for detaining suspects have been rushed out. Why the hurry? "A MORE comprehensively consensual approach than we have ever taken before" was promised six months ago, when the government announced its fifth counter-terrorism bill in eight years. Previous bills had been piloted through Parliament at top speed, dividing MPs and in some cases leading to legislation that breached human-rights laws. This time a soothing consultation period and cross-party co-operation would prevent squabbling and mistakes, ministers pledged. The consensus approach now seems to be on the rocks. On December 6th the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, called an emergency press conference to announce plans to hold suspected terrorists for longer before charging them, a power long coveted by the government and opposed by other parties. Opposition MPs, who say they were shown the detailed plans no earlier than journalists were, accused the government of "pig-headed stubbornness". On the contrary, Ms Smith retorted, it is they who have refused to compromise. ...

The US power company's venture marks the biggest move by a foreign company into India's electricity sector since the high-profile failure of Enron more than six years ago

It almost sounds too good to be true. Take an oil refinery waste product, turn it into a cleaner-burning fuel for chemical plants, and capture and sell all the greenhouse gases.

(Crain's) -- Exelon Nuclear has hired a Utah firm to dismantle its idle Zion nuclear power plant more than a decade ahead of schedule. Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions Inc. has been tapped to decommission the two reactors and all other structures and support buildings on Exelon's 257-acre ...

Britain is planning to boost wind power generation to produce enough electricity to power every home in the nation by 2020 in a policy shift signalling less reliance on nuclear energy, the Independent on Sunday reported.