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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 | IN THIS ISSUE
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Gov. Kim Reynolds yesterday defended changes in Iowa utility regulations she signed into law last week, calling them a
"compromise" and a "balance" that will save ratepayers money, the Quad City Times reports. The law caps the amount that customers will pay toward energy efficiency programs and allows them to opt out - both changes that will provide "hundreds of millions of dollars in reductions to ratepayers and balance that with a very robust energy efficiency program," Ms. Reynolds told reporters. Critics say the changes will
gut the state's energy efficiency efforts, and that they contradict the Iowa Energy Plan. Ms. Reynolds, who spearheaded the plan in 2016, countered that it "was not going to be a mandate."
The state's utilities, which largely backed the bill, have already begun revealing what the caps will mean for customers. MidAmerican Energy announced that its customers in the state will pay
about $90 million less for energy efficiency programs as a result of the change, Radio Iowa reports.
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Companies vying for spot in new U.S. drone trials
At least 200 tech and aerospace companies including Amazon, Intel and Airbus SE are vying for a chance to take part in a
new slate of drone tests to be held by the federal government, Reuters reports, and the winners are expected today. Part of an initiative launched by President Donald Trump, the pilot program will allow for a arger range of aviation tests, including flying drones at night, over people and beyond an operator's line of sight. Entrants include tech giants such as Apple and Qualcomm - and likely Rockwell Collins, which has been racking up its share of unmanned flight successes in recent years with partners like
BNSF and
NASA.
Any changes to U.S. policy stemming from the new drone tests are not expected for some time, but they will help us catch up with other countries like the U.K., which has been more
aggressive in testing the technology for commercial uses such as delivery, Ecommerce News reports.
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United in talks with Boeing, Airbus on big jet order
Staying on aerospace, Reuters reports that United Airlines is in talks with
planemakers Airbus and Boeing over the purchase of wide-body, long-haul passenger jets to replace a fleet of 50 Boeing 767s. Europe's Airbus is expected to offer its A330neo jet against Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in a deal potentially worth $14 billion, sources said. Boeing has been winning the rivalry as of late, with the Chicago-based company besting Airbus on recent orders, including 47 787s for American Airlines. United, also based in the Windy City, already has 787s in its fleet, and firm commitments to buy at least a dozen more.
Most domestic 757s have been replaced by Airbus' A321 and Boeing's 737-900ERs, but neither company has
released a comparably-sized replacement for longer missions across the Atlantic or to South America. Flight Global reports that some airlines have complained that Airbus' A330neo is too large to replace the 767, while the 787-8 has too much range for certain flights.
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Crude oil prices this week topped $70 a barrel for the first time in three years as tight supplies and geopolitical concerns continued to push prices higher. Production cuts put into place by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia last year
have helped drain a glut that was depressing prices, the New York Times reports, while President Donald Trump's decision yesterday to
reimpose sanctions on Iran could further constrain the market, the New York Times reports. Iran is the world's fifth-largest oil producer.
The reduced global supply, combined with a solid economy, has helped lift oil from below $30 a barrel in early 2016. Gasoline prices have jumped to a
national average of $2.81 a gallon, CNNMoney reports. The typical family will spend about $200 more this summer driving season, according to the Oil Price Information Service.
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If you've been in the Midwest for a while, you probably remember Ray Szmanda, the longtime face and voice of the Menards home improvement chain. Mr. Szmanda died at his home in northeastern Wisconsin at the age of 91, his family announced Monday. He proudly played the
role of "Menards Guy" on thousands of
TV commercials, and served as the company's only spokesman for 20 years. His booming voice, pitch-perfect catch phrase ("Save big money!") and thick shock of white hair made him a "cult figure, a pop icon
to whom viewers write fan letters and request autographed photos," the Chicago Tribune wrote back in 1991. "Some people seem to like that I'm an older man but I have so much energy and enthusiasm," Mr. Szmanda said. "They say, 'How do you do it? Shouldn't you be sick and hobbling around?'"
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Rise and shine
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Your Morning Commute
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Roads are looking clear, but watch for construction throughout the Corridor. See the DOT's interactive road conditions map here.
Links as of 7 a.m.
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