7.0. EDSR 05-10-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

TechTrends e-Newsletter I April 2004 Page 3 '24'5 f 5 Total national exports grew by 8.6 percent in the same period. Minnesota's top two 111 export sectors were computers/electronics and medical devices. Mississippi Topsoils , a Cold Spring-based compost manufacturer, has announced that it will expand its product line of composts made from community tree trimmings and poultry processing coproducts, which the company acquires from the adjacent Gold `n Plump poultry plant. The company also supplies organics recycling services to private and public agencies. Northfield's St. Olaf College , a private college with 3,000 students, has received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to start its own telephone company. According to St. Olaf's director of communications Craig Dunston, the college plans to sell its services to Northfield's businesses, but could expand to residential service if successful. The as-yet unnamed company will publish phone rates once it completes negotiations with Qwest Communications International , from which it will lease its phone wires. Detroit Lakes-based S)E Rhombus , a manufacturer of liquid level controls, has debuted a new line of pump control panels, Installer Friendly SeriesTM. The new • panels will be available for simplex, duplex, timed dose, and demand applications. San Jose, Calif.-based Calpine Corp. has entered into a 20-year agreement to provide electric power to Minneapolis-headquartered Xcel Energy . Still subject to approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission , the agreement was awarded to Calpine after a bidding process initiated in 2001. Under the contract, • Calpine will build, own, and operate a new electric power plant in Mankato, reports Xcel. Service from the 365-megawatt plant is scheduled to begin in 2006. Northfield's Carleton College will purchase a 1.65 megawatt wind turbine, reports the college's Board of Trustees. Scheduled for construction this summer on farm • land 1.5 miles east of campus, the turbine is expected to begin operation in September 2004. According to the college, the turbine is projected to produce more than 5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Carleton plans to sell the energy to Xcel Energy for use on its power grid. Pequot Lakes-based Hunt Technologies Inc. has been chosen by the Habersham • Electric Member Cooperative in Clarksville, Ga., to install its power line meter- reading units throughout the Clarksville service area. Hunt Technologies manufactures cost-effective automatic meter-reading systems for the utilities market. Habersham Electric joins more than 450 Hunt Technologies customers • worldwide. • Earlier this month, Hibbing and Virginia Public Utilities initiated a plan to produce biomass energy by converting wood-based fuel to power boilers in both towns. Under the plan, Virginia and Hibbing would supply 15 and 20 megawatts of power, respectively. The companies estimate that shared up-front development costs for the project will run between $763,000 and $1.28 million. If completed, the project will create around 100 new jobs and preserve 70, report the parties. CaLendc • MTI Consulting Services Overview The following free meetings offer a concise way to learn about MTI's wide range of consulting services and how they can help your business. http://www.minnesotatechnology.org/publications/techtrends/2004/April/printVersion.asp 4/21/2004