North Carolina's electricity providers say poop-to-power isn't ready for prime time.
Progress Energy, Duke Energy and other providers have asked state regulators to delay and modify a 2007 state law that requires them to generate a minimum amount of energy from pig or chicken waste. The law, designed to promote renewable energy and efficiency, requires utilities to begin getting some energy from pig and chicken litter by 2012.
The utilities have been seeking proposals for waste-to-energy projects, but say they've gotten only limited and expensive bids. (N&O)
* The White House has indicated that it could accept a nonprofit health-care cooperative as an alternative to a new government insurance plan, originally favored by President Barack Obama. But the cooperative idea is so ill-defined that no one knows exactly what it would look like or how effectively it would compete with commercial insurers. (NYT)
* A Chatham County man and convicted sex offender is challenging a state law that took effect in December that forbids registered sex offenders from being within 300 feet of a school, playground, day care or children's museum.
James Nichols, 31, served six years in prison for indecent liberties with a teenage girl and attempted second-degree rape. A Chatham County sheriff's deputy arrested him in March for going to church because the church runs a day care. Nichols had disclosed his crimes to his pastor. (N&O)
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