Latest news with #NorthWestern
India Gazette
01-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Total sown area up 11.3 per cent due to good Southwest monsoon: Report
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The overall sown area for Kharif crops has improved by 11.3 per cent as of June 27, 2025, on year on year basis, as South-West monsoon has picked up pace, with rainfall recorded at 9 per cent above the Long Period Average (LPA) until June 30, 2025, revealed a recent report by Bank of Baroda. The report further adds that, the higher sown area is particularly evident in pulses and rice, which have grown by 37.2 per cent and 47.3 per cent respectively. Particularly, within pulses, urad and moong bean have registered an increase. Oilseeds, led by soybean and groundnut, have also seen higher acreage. In contrast, the sown area for cotton and jute & mesta has declined by 8.9 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively for the same period. Regionally, 19 out of 36 sub-divisions (49 per cent of the country) have received normal to excess rainfall. The North Western (42 per cent) and Central (25 per cent) regions have reported above-normal rainfall, including states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Parts of the Central and Southern regions, such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have received normal rainfall. However, the East and North Eastern India reported deficient rainfall (-17 per cent), followed by the Southern Peninsula (-3 per cent). States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya in the Eastern and North Eastern regions have reported deficient rainfall, as have Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the Southern belt. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects above-normal rainfall for July 2025, at 106 per cent above LPA. The overall cumulative rainfall until June 30, 2025, is 180mm, which is higher than both last year's 147mm and the normal rainfall of 165mm for this period. Reservoir storage levels across India are also significantly higher than last year. As of June 26, 2025, the storage level for 161 reservoirs stands at 36 per cent of total capacity, compared to 20 per cent last year. The Southern region has the highest reservoir level at 45 per cent, followed by Western (39 per cent), Eastern (31 per cent), Northern (30 per cent), and Central regions (29 per cent). (ANI)
RTÉ News
20-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Planning permission for Creeslough site refused
An Coimisiún Pleanála has refused permission for a service station to be redeveloped at the site where ten people lost their lives in Creeslough, Co Donegal more than two years ago. For more on this, North Western Correspondent, Shane O'Curraighin reports.
Mint
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Southwest monsoon to advance over Central, Eastern and Western India over next two to three days: IMD
NEW DELHI : The hot weather is likely to ease over central, eastern and western India over the next 2-3 days. In its latest update, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that the weather is favourable for further advancement of the southwest monsoon over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha over the next two days and over some parts of Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar during the subsequent three days. The development assumes significance as it is likely to boost kharif sowing, as most of the areas in these three regions are heavily dependent on monsoon rains. This advancement will cause light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in parts of central and eastern India, including Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, during 13 to 17 June. Also Read: Centre halves basic customs duty on imported crude edible oils to 10% IMD also forecasts thundersqualls over West Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Bihar from 13 June to 15 June. Also, some parts of this region are likely to witness isolated heavy rainfall during 13 to 19 June. West may see very heavy rain On the western front, light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, is predicted over Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Marathawada, Konkan, Goa, Saurashtra, and Kutch from 13 to 16 June. Some parts of this region will also experience rainfall ranging from heavy to very heavy from 13 to 19 June. Extremely heavy rainfall is likely to be experienced over Konkan and Goa from 13 to 16 June, according to IMD. However, there will be no respite from the heatwave in the Northwest region over the next two days."Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over Northwest India, including Western Himalayan Region, during the next two days and reduce thereafter," said IMD in a statement. The IMD forecasts that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely in many places in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh from 13 to 15 June. Northwest heatwave to ease On Thursday, in the North Western region, maximum temperatures were in the range of 43-48°C over most places in Rajasthan and Punjab, a few places in Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and isolated places in Uttar Pradesh. The highest maximum temperature of 47.8°C was reported at Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) on Thursday. Also Read: Northwest, central India to reel under heatwaves over next two days North Western India, including Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and West Uttar Pradesh, is expected to experience light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds from 13 to 19 June. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely to be experienced in Uttarakhand, East Uttar Pradesh, and West Uttar Pradesh from 13 to 19 June. Also, a dust storm or thundersquall is predicted over isolated places in Rajasthan from 13 to 17 June. South in active monsoon phase The IMD, in a statement, also said that the monsoon is likely to be in the active phase, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm/24 hours) at isolated places over south peninsular India and Konkan and Goa during 13-17 June. Also Read: MSP boost: Moong, groundnut procurement approved under price support scheme Also, in south peninsular India, light to moderate rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep during the next seven days. Further, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by isolated thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds is expected over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from 13 to 17 June.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NorthWestern Energy announces another rate increase
(Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images) NorthWestern Energy's electric customers could get a double whammy this summer. On May 30, NorthWestern Energy said it planned an increase of $9.04 on a typical residential electric bill as part of a quarterly adjustment on electric supply. Earlier last month, the monopoly utility announced it was pushing up rates 17% without regulatory approval, effective May 23. The earlier increase amounts to $17.07 a month on top of a typical residential bill of $101.14, according to NorthWestern Energy. If the Montana Public Service Commission signs off on the most recent increase, the average residential customer will be paying $127.16 in July, according to information from the agency. Altogether, that would be a more than 25% increase from May 1 to July of this year. NorthWestern Energy spokesperson Jo Dee Black said the latest change reflects dollars for electric supply costs generally passed through to customers and adjusted quarterly since 2023. 'This approach helps avoid large, once-a-year adjustments,' Black said in an email. However, an engineer for the Montana Environmental Information Center said the increase shows NorthWestern's argument the large gas plant it built in Laurel isn't offsetting bills as the company promised. Nick Fitzmaurice, energy transition engineer for the energy watchdog, also said customers will be paying 39.4% more a month this July than they did in August 2022. 'NorthWestern' subversive tactics unfairly hide the truth from Montanans, who are now paying the price with skyrocketing electric bills,' Fitzmaurice said in an email. PSC spokesperson Alana Lake said the agency routinely examines a utility's accounting to ensure accuracy, and the Commission had questions about this recent increase, so it has yet to sign off on it. However, Lake also said the increase will be implemented unless the PSC finds an error in NorthWestern's calculations. 'It is important to note that these rates will only be in effect until September 2025,' Lake said, if they are approved. 'At that point, (NorthWestern) must file an application with justification for final approval of these adjustments, which will need to be reviewed and approved by the Commission.' The 17% hike is separate, already in effect, and part of an upcoming hearing on an application for rate increases NorthWestern Energy filed with the PSC in July 2024. NorthWestern earlier defended the increase it implemented prior to approval by the Montana Public Service Commission — and the PSC confirmed the utility acted legally. The monopoly energy company said regulators didn't act on its application for a rate increase in a timely fashion, so it used a law that allows it to implement one on its own in the meantime, after nine months have passed. However, PSC President Brad Molnar earlier said NorthWestern is responsible for delays in the case, and its customers are going to feel pain as a result of the increase, which he characterized as 'crushing.' A hearing on the rate case will take place starting Monday, June 9, and run possibly through June 20. If the PSC decides NorthWestern erred in the increase, the company will return the extra money to customers, plus 10%. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NorthWestern Energy rates are out of control
Barb Emineth of Laurel speaks about NorthWestern's proposal to put a natural-gas power plant in that town. (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). Yikes. NorthWestern Energy has just outrageously imposed a 16.8% increase in electric rates for us captive customers without regulatory approval. This occurred before the June 9 hearing of the Public Service Commission where an 8.3% increase had originally been proposed. But, you may recall, NorthWestern received an increase of 28% a year-and-a-half ago. What is going on? Are we Montanans being unfairly exploited? To answer this question, let us examine incentives and responsibilities. NorthWestern Energy, a descendent of Montana Power, is a monopoly. With respect to the distribution of electricity and gas, it seems appropriate for only one energy corporation to be a provider. Otherwise, we might be beset by the chaotic mess of poles, wires, and pipes of competing companies. But with no competition, a monopoly can charge exorbitant fees, public welfare be damned. To protect the more than 400,000 customers of NorthWestern Energy from predatory charges, the publicly-elected members of the PSC are legally granted the authority to approve or disapprove utility rates and what are essentially profit margins ('return on equity' is the technical name, but corporate profits are what's truly at play). Hence NorthWestern, a large investor-owned corporation, has the incentive to increase profits while the PSC, a governmental agency, has the responsibility of protecting public welfare. Let's first examine who profits economically from the income NorthWestern is able to generate. The primary beneficiaries are corporate shareholders, most of whom do not live in Montana. The PSC has traditionally granted the utility profits of about 10% annually. What, 10%? Some large corporations, such as successful supermarket chains, are happy to receive a 1 to 3% yearly profit. Outsiders, rather than Montana citizens and our small businesses, are the beneficiaries of the current arrangement. (Large corporations and institutions are able to negotiate lower rates from NorthWestern.) Further beneficiaries of profits are the corporate executives, most of whom reside in Sioux Falls, the corporate headquarters. It must be great to be Brian Bird, the CEO of NorthWestern. He earns about $2400 per hour. NorthWestern might claim that his compensation is in line with other energy CEOs, but that seems more like an indictment of unjust wealth distribution than a valid argument for such compensation NorthWestern, with its army of lawyers, engineers, and public relations persons, seems like Goliath in relation to the PSC as David. To the PSC's credit, last year it applied a 7.24% decrease in the interim residential rates NorthWestern charged. But when the rates Montanans now pay are compared with the rates customers in other Western states pay, it is clear the PSC needs to do more to protect Montanans from outsourcing our wealth. For 800 kilowatts of power each month, Idaho Power charges customers $70. NorthWestern has charged $107, but with its imposed increase it will be $125. NorthWestern's incentive to increase profits for shareholders encourages it to engage in expensive projects of expansion with little regard for prudent spending or even proper approval. A new rate increase would pass on to us consumers the costs of building and operating the Laurel methane-fired plant, brazenly constructed even when violating zoning laws and without approval of the PSC. Its guaranteed profit means that NorthWestern ratepayers must cover all of the utility's expenses, even those spent on unwise and unapproved projects. We, not they, shoulder the risks. The PSC can restore balance by holding NorthWestern to reasonable standards with fair rates for everyday Montanans. The PSC will hold a public hearing in Helena on June 9 to discuss how to respond to Northwestern's requested rate increases. PSC members need to deny these unjust rate hikes and thereby reduce NorthWestern's exorbitant 10.8% return on equity (profit). Granting an increase in rates legitimates NorthWestern's arrogant and risky actions that benefit shareholders but further stress local families and small businesses. Ratepayers and the PSC must stand up to this out-of-control monopoly. Walt Gulick is a Montana State University Billings professor emeritus, NorthWestern Energy ratepayer, and Northern Plains Resource Council member.
