Fish and energy needs clash in Midwest
MISSOURI - Missouri utility regulators claim electric customers could be on the hook for the cost of improved trout fishing in northern Arkansas.
A federal project would change the flow of water from two Army Corps of Engineers dams that form Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes along the Arkansas-Missouri border. The intent is to improve the habitat for trout below the dams.
But the change also would reduce the capacity to produce hydropower at a plant owned by The Empire District Electric Co. on Lake Taneycomo near Branson.
The federal Southwestern Power Administration proposed in January to reimburse Empire $41 million for the lost energy-production capacity. It revised that last month to $22 million. Missouri utility regulators say that would shortchange Empire's customers in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
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Transformer explosion triggers five small fires
PALO ALTO, CA - An initial report of a possible airplane crash at the Palo Alto Airport Monday morning turned out instead to be three electrical fires, two in East Palo Alto and one across San Francisquito Creek in Palo Alto.
A PG&E power line came down in East Palo Alto, sparking two small brush fires around 11:15 a.m. along San Francisquito Creek. In the same minute, a transformer fire broke out at the nearby Baylands Athletic Center baseball field in Palo Alto, fire officials said.
Authorities said there is no indication that the brush fires in East Palo Alto are related…
