Inked: A solar-powered Captain D’s; Snkrr Bar moves to Crosstown Concourse
A newly-constructed Captain D’s restaurant in Whitehaven could soon run on solar power, and construction for the second phase of The Oliver project will cost $16 million.
There are 226 article(s) tagged MLGW:
A newly-constructed Captain D’s restaurant in Whitehaven could soon run on solar power, and construction for the second phase of The Oliver project will cost $16 million.
"Behind the Headlines" host Eric Barnes and The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries talk to Karl Schledwitz and Jim Gilliland of the group $450 Million for Memphis about the proposed plan for MLGW to break away from the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“The nationally-recognized firm Enervision, is expected to submit its analysis to City Hall before year-end, a potential game-changer that MLGW will not acknowledge.”
“The mayor’s report not only had different conclusions than those that were reported, but they elaborated on specific factors in which MLGW’s actions when it issued an RFP were inadequate and unprofessional.”
This city already pays less for light, gas and water than any other in Tennessee, and less than most cities in the country. If we really want to help the poor with their utilities, there are subsidies, sliding scales and credits.
MLGW has processed bills for more than 34,000 users who were behind on payments because of faulty meters. That’s about 8% of MLGW electricity customers.
The utility already has a five-year, $1 billion infrastructure investment plan, but if Shelby County is to be prepared for a rapidly changing energy market, MLGW President Doug McGowen said they need to think further ahead.
The pilot program is starting in the two areas that experience the most frequent and longest power outages: Orange Mound and Sherwood Forest.
MLGW has temporarily suspended all disconnections for non-payment so that call center representatives can focus on restoring power to customers.
In an update Tuesday, MLGW’s VP of customer service said MLGW has resolved about half of the initial billing backlog created by faulty utility meters.
The report recommends MLGW revisit the market for energy sources when conditions improve.
MLGW’s Smart Meters are failing at a rate that suggests a design flaw, and the problem has delayed about $12.5 million in payments to the utility.
The Allen pumping station’s condition is “likely the worst in the MLGW system,” according to a water program delivery manager.
The U.S. District Court judge suggested the plaintiffs take their grievances to Congress, not the court system.
During a MLGW board meeting Wednesday, CEO Doug McGowen indicated that load forecasting would be part of the TVA review, “because there were some real issues to talk about there.”
“Heaping praise on power companies that merely do what they are supposed to do is pointless. The now-exposed reality is that TVA is no more reliable than its neighboring utilities.”
“TVA’s days of boasting of reliability ‘superior’ to its neighbors, simply does not hold up to the fact check. Especially when facing the aftermath of acts of God level destruction and storms or extreme temperatures.”
“I think the myth of TVA’s invincibility has been shown here, and I think we need to remember that as we try to figure out where we’re going to go as a system,” Memphis City Council member Jeff Warren said. Millions of gallons of water flooded empty buildings during extreme winter weatherRelated story:
MLGW president and CEO Doug McGowen said Tuesday that the utility had to double the amount of water it pumped from the Memphis Aquifer because of fire protection systems and water mains breaking.
Once again, state dollars didn’t flow to Shelby County. But this time it wasn’t an example of the state disinvesting in Memphis. MLGW says it can complete all the needed infrastructure upgrades with the funding it already has.
A week after single-digit temperatures descended on Memphis — wreaking havoc on the city’s power supplier and creating a water distribution crisis — Memphis Light, Gas and Water shared plans to address its shortcomings.
“I have not forgotten last February’s ice storm where many of us were without power, including me for 8 days,” says letter writer Karen Morrison.
“During the storm, we used text alerts to communicate to 86,940 of our customers,” an MLGW press release said.
While these areas might bear the brunt of that area’s aging infrastructure, it’s not limited to them. Related story:
For some areas of southeast and north Shelby County, the advisory lasted six days as MLGW crews dealt with at least 36 water main breaks.