Border States, Fargo, N.D., continues to break new ground in the renewable energy market. Border States is the only traditional full-line electrical distributor on the list of new distributors put out today by Visible Light Solar Technologies, an Albuquerque-based manufacturer of lighting that combines solar power with LEDs to replace HID and high-pressure sodium lamps. The rest of the distributors appear to be a combination of startups, solar specialists and dealer/installers.
Archive for December 1st, 2009
Lessons from backlash on CFLs
The New York Times today finds some lessons in customer responses to the varying ways utilities are encouraging customers to convert to more efficient light sources.
Schneider joins Alstom for deal to buy Areva T&D
Schneider Electric and Alstom won the right to exclusive negotiations to acquire Areva T&D, the transmission and distribution operations of French nuclear power company Areva. Schneider stands to get the medium voltage side of the business. Schneider and Alstom said they propose to jointly acquire Areva T&D for an equity value of €2.29 billion (about $3.5 billion).
According to Schneider Electric’s press release announcing the deal, Areva T&D’s activities are currently number three worldwide, with transmission moving to Alstom (around two thirds of the business) and distribution to Schneider Electric (about one third), would transform Schneider Electric and Alstom into two of this market’s global leaders with
• an upstream pole, with power generation provided by Alstom (turnkey power plants, turbines and generators), completed by transmission (very high and high voltage) transferred from Areva T&D to Alstom;
• a downstream pole, with electrical distribution of Schneider Electric reinforced by the medium voltage activities of Areva T&D.