Market
Announcement
Monday 21 May 2012
Victorian Government review supports feed in tariffs for fuel cells Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM / ASX: CFU) - a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation products for homes and other buildings - is pleased to announce that the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) has recommended that feed in tariffs be extended to include small scale low emissions generators like fuel cells.
The draft report by VCEC, released on Friday 18 May, recommends that Victoria's solar PV feed in tariff be broadened to include all low-emissions and renewable technologies, with a requirement that electricity retailers must offer a wholesale price based feed in tariff for distributed generation of 100 kilowatts or less.
Feed-in tariffs are payments to distributed generators for electricity generated at their premises and fed back into the power grid. VCEC recommends that the feed in tariff be based on the wholesale price for electricity. A report commissioned by VCEC notes that this value varies depending on time, location, and the type of generation technology. The report estimates that currently this value is approximately seven cents per kilowatt hour.
Ceramic Fuel Cells' BlueGen gas to electricity generator would be eligible for this feed in tariff, making Victoria the first State in Australia to provide a feed in tariff for fuel cells. BlueGen customers already receive feed in tariffs in Germany and the United Kingdom.
The VCEC draft report adopts several recommendations made by Ceramic Fuel Cells in our submission and consultation with VCEC, including:
WSMR volunteer wins shopping spree - Las Cruces Sun-News
WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE — Volunteering in itself has a myriad of priceless rewards, but when DeCA was able to provide funds which have been donated to our community through S&K Products, many volunteers became overjoyed with the chance of winning a 90-second, $500 shopping spree at our Commissary.
"All registered volunteers from 2011 had a chance to win the shopping spree," said Julia Armstrong, WSMR Army Volunteer Corps Coordinator.
The drawing was held at the annual Volunteer Awards and Recognition Ceremony on April 12. Deb Cervantez was the lucky winner for the drawing. She has received volunteer recognition awards for her service here on WSMR such as: Volunteer of the Quarter Nominee, January-March 2011; the "Above and Beyond" award; and the "Helping Hand" award for volunteer service in two or more organizations, January-December 2011.
In 2009 Cervantez was awarded the WSMR Volunteer of the Year.
"This was a huge surprise, I'm extremely grateful to the Commissary and the WSMR Volunteer program. This is a great reward for being a volunteer," Cervantez said.
Prior to the big shopping spree, Cervantez strategically planned her 90 seconds to the dollar and aisle.
So, what would she reach for next if she had a few extra seconds left?
"Probably candy for my daughter," Cervantez said. Prior to the spree, she did a reconnaissance of the Commissary for about two hours, studying the items, prices, aisles and even where she would begin and end her
shopping spree. Cervantez anticipated a successful shopping spree since she only planned to shop from two aisles, targeting the non-perishable items that her husband, Sgt. Matt Cervantez, uses more frequently and other household and hygiene items to stock up on.Cervantez' plan of action included a direct order to her husband naming him the official shopping cart getter and bringing items to the cart. DeCA Commissaries provided the rules which allowed for the shopping spree winner to have one helper to take shopping carts back and forth and get items from the shelf, but the helper is not permitted to place items in the shopping cart.
Approximately 25 people came to watch the event at the front of the store.
Pom-pom's waving through the air and loud cheers from everyone on the sidelines, including: volunteer members of our community; ACS staff members; commissary shoppers; commissary staff; WSMR Garrison Commander Col. Leo Pullar and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Glenn Robinson and staff.
"It's a great opportunity for our Commissary, the Garrison and our volunteer appreciation program to come together. Anytime we can come together and benefit one of our great volunteers is a great day," Pullar said.
Cervantez rushed to the finish line with approximately five seconds left, successfully grabbing everything on her shopping list, plus a little extra candy for her daughter.
"It was crazy," Cervantez said with a big smile. "But it went very well."
She offers a helpful tip to the next Shopping Spree winner saying, "Plan it out and think it through, don't try to do the whole store in 90 seconds and don't get your nails done the day before."
Armstrong proudly announced that DeCA Commissaries and S&K Products have donated another $500 for next year's WSMR Volunteer Appreciation Shopping Spree drawing. For more information on becoming a registered volunteer or for volunteer opportunities please contact ACS, Julia Armstrong 678-7661. To become a registered volunteer go to www.myarmyonesource.com.
For more information on your DeCA Commissaries go to www.commissaries.com.
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"What's Up at White Sands" is a weekly feature provided by White Sands Missile Range. This week's feature was written by Jennifer Tyler of WSMR Public Affairs.
US wholesale prices fell 0.2 percent in April - Yahoo Finance
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. wholesale prices fell in April, reflecting a big decline in gas and energy costs. But outside that drop, inflation was tame.
The Labor Department says the producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, dropped 0.2 percent in April. It was the first decline since December and the biggest drop since October.
Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the so-called core index rose 0.2 percent.
For the 12 months that ended in April, wholesale prices have risen just 1.9 percent, the smallest 12-month change since October 2009.
Modest wholesale inflation reduces pressure on manufacturers and retailers to raise prices. That helps keep consumer prices stable.
Gas prices spiked earlier this year. But they have dropped 5 percent since peaking last month.
Wholesale price index up in March - Manila Times
The growth of the general wholesale price in the Philippines slightly went up in March compared to the previous month, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The NSO data showed that the annual rate of increase of the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) at the national level increased at 2.6 percent in March from 2.5 percent in February.
Negative annual rates were still posted in the indices of crude materials, inedible except fuels at -15.9 percent and chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats at -3.4 percent from -23.4 percent and -4.4 percent, respectively, it added.
Meanwhile, a slowdown was also noted in beverages and tobacco index at 3.0 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index at 8.6 percent; manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index at 3.4 percent; and machinery and transport equipment index at 0.8 percent.
In Luzon, the NSO said the GWPI also inched up to 2.9 percent in March from 2.8 percent in February.
Moreover, the annual hike in the food index rose 1.6 percent from 0.3 percent and miscellaneous manufactured articles index, 2.4 percent from 1.9 percent.
In Visayas, the annual increase in the wholesale prices of commodities recorded a negative annual adjustment at -0.4 percent in March from -0.6 percent in February.
The NSO attributed the decline in the heavily weighted food index which dropped to -2.2 percent from -1.0 percent and crude materials, inedible except fuels index, -8.9 percent from -19.8 percent.
“Except for miscellaneous manufactured articles index whose annual growth was zero, the annual gains in the rest of the commodity groups moved up during the month,” the agency said.
In Mindanao, the annual gain of the GWPI in March was improved to 2.2 percent compared to the previous month’s rate of 2.3 percent.
Annual declines were posted in the food index at -0.1 percent, and crude materials, inedible except fuels index at -3.0 percent, the same rate last month.
In addition, slower annual rates were correspondingly noticed in the indices of machinery and transport equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles at 0.8 percent and 2.4 percent from 1.3 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively. The other commodity groups recorded higher annual growths during the period.
On the other hand, slower annual rates were correspondingly noticed in the indices of machinery and transport equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles at 0.8 percent and 2.4 percent from 1.3 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.
China's e-shopping market to top world in 2013 - Jakarta Post
Tesco to trial ‘click and collect’ in US - Financial Times
May 20, 2012 5:20 pm
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