Is PA Gov. Corbett lottery privatization outcome rigged?

A firm hired to advise Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration in its pursuit of privatizing the Pennsylvania Lottery management is no stranger to the company interested in taking
over the lottery, the Patriot-News reports.

“The state’s financial adviser, Greenhill & Co., worked on the $576 million sale of the Camelot Group to its present owner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, in 2010.

 “One of Camelot’s companies, Camelot Global Services PA, was the only firm to submit a bid to take over running the state’s $3 billion-plus lottery enterprise for the next 20 to 30 years.

“Now both Greenhill, which has a financial incentive in its contract if the lottery’s management goes private, and Camelot stand to make millions if Corbett signs the privatization deal.”

Read the full story here.

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Promising news for dead-in-water offshore wind in NJ

The developer of a proposed offshore wind transmission backbone is looking at putting a manufacturing facility in the port of Paulsboro, a move that might bolster New Jersey’s efforts to become the hub of the offshore wind sector along the Eastern Seaboard, NJ Spotlight reports.
“We’re committed to working in New Jersey,’’ said Bill Wall, director of marine operations for Atlantic Wind Connection. The Google-backed proposal intends to establish a 300-mile-long transmission system to serve offshore wind farms.
There are a lot of big “ifs” associated with the proposal, including whether the state can come up with a workable funding mechanism to help offshore wind developers line up financing for their projects. Still, the AWC statement is the first time anyone has publically vowed to build a manufacturing facility for offshore wind in New Jersey.
The Christie administration and lawmakers have proposed developing 1,100 megawatts of generating capacity from wind farms off the Jersey coast, but the efforts have been mired in bureaucratic delays at both state and federal levels.


Read the entire story here. 

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Facebook using up more time? This cheat sheet may help

Spend a lot of time on Facebook?  More time than ever? You’re not alone. Here’s a cool cheat sheet that provides a bunch of  shortcuts to save you time. Our thanks to Jason Springer at JRS Strategies, LLC for bringing it to our attention–yes, on Facebook of course.   

Get the full cheat sheet from mycleveragency here

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Will Hurricane Sandy boost smart grid investment in NJ

NJ Spotlight reports:  “Until now, New Jersey has hardly embraced efforts to make the grid smarter, mostly due to costs, which could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. After (Hurricane) Sandy, however, both lawmakers and the president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities have said that the state needs to take another look at the issue and decide whether the benefits outweigh the costs.” 



A smart grid is viewed by proponents as a planned nationwide network that uses information technology to deliver electricity more efficiently and reliably — so much so that advocates have called it “electricity with a brain.’’
Its benefits apply to both consumers and utilities. For customers, it could lead to fewer and shorter service interruptions during major storms. It could also mean lower bills thanks to reduced demands for electricity. For utilities, it could improve grid reliability and diminish the need for expensive capital transmission projects.
Jersey Central Power & Light, probably the most widely criticized utility when it comes to restoring power after the recent storms, last week proposed a pilot project to develop a smart meter system for its customers.


Not everyone is convinced that smart meters are worth the cost
It doesn’t provide the bang for the buck that some people argue,’’ said Stefanie Brand, director of the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, in a telephone interview. “They don’t pay for themselves and I don’t think they are smart,’’ she said, referring to the so-called smart meters. 
When a storm like Sandy hits the state, the outages are so extensive — 2.7 million of New Jersey’s electric customers were without power at some point — that smart meters provide little help determining where restoration efforts should be directed, according to Brand.


Read the full story here. 

Related:
Sandy and the smart grid: who won? 

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Our most recent posts:
Open-space funding bills head to NJ Gov. Christie’s desk
Meg Morris promoted to new post at Covanta Energy
How about that: The Green Car of 2013 is not an import
NJ enviro groups’ billboard: Here’s looking at you, DEP
How has limited liability corporation law changed in NJ?





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Open-space funding bills head to NJ Gov. Christie’s desk

High Point State Park, Montague / David Kenny

A package of bills providing funding for the purchase of  flood-prone properties and other open-space projects received final legislative approval today in the New Jersey Assembly.

Gov. Chris Christie now gets to decide whether to sign the $123 million spending package.

NJ Keep it Green, a coalition of conservation advocates, provides details here.

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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
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Our most recent posts: 
Meg Morris promoted to new post at Covanta Energy
How about that: The Green Car of 2013 is not an import
NJ enviro groups’ billboard: Here’s looking at you, DEP
How has limited liability corporation law changed in NJ?
Freeman re-elected as Brownfields Partnership president




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Meg Morris promoted to new post at Covanta Energy

Meg Morris

Recycling Today reports that Covanta Energy Corp., with headquarters in Morristown, N.J., has promoted Meg Morris to a new position–vice president of materials management.

 The company, which is involved in waste management and renewable energy, says that the Materials Management division identifies the best approach the company should take in regards to using and reusing resources most productively and sustainably throughout their life cycles, from the point of resource extraction through material disposal, ensuring they are reused, recycled or recovered with the least amount of impact on the environment. 

In her new position, Morris will be tasked with developing and implementing programs that address sustainable waste management needs. These includes assisting existing and prospective clients with waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs; coordinating community outreach and education programs such as those that focus on the removal of mercury, cadmium, pharmaceuticals and electronic waste from the waste stream; and collaborating with NGOs. 

Previously, Morris was the director of environmental science and community affairs at Covanta. 


The company has New Jersey facilities in Essex, Union and Warren counties in New Jersey; Chester, Harrisburg, Lancaster County, Plymouth and York in Pennsylvania and in Babylon, Hempstead, Hudson Valley, Huntington, MacArthur, Niagara and Onondaga County in New York.


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For thorough coverage of environmental news, issues, legislation and regulation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, try a FREE subscription to EnviroPolitics, our daily newsletter that also tracks environment/energy bills–from introduction to enactment 
***********************************************************************************************************

Our most recent posts:
How about that: The Green Car of 2013 is not an import
NJ enviro groups’ billboard: Here’s looking at you, DEP
How has limited liability corporation law changed in NJ?
Freeman re-elected as Brownfields Partnership president
NJ Senate to vote on two alternative-fuel vehicle bills

Meg Morris promoted to new post at Covanta Energy Read More »