Business briefs: High court to hear case over electricity rule

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will hear a dispute over an electricity regulation in which utilities pay energy users in the wholesale market to reduce consumption.

The justices said Monday they will review a lower court ruling that struck down a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rule under which electricity users are paid to lower energy use in response to rising prices.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the rule encroaches on state authority to regulate the retail power market. Utilities had opposed the regulation on grounds that it is too generous.

The Obama administration argues that the rule targets the wholesale market. The government says the effect of the rule on wholesale rates is more immediate and direct than any effect on retail consumption.

Fords F-150 to be made for propane fuel refit

DETROIT – Ford was expected to announce Monday plans to offer the 2016 F-150 full-size pickup with a package that prepares it to be powered by propane or compressed natural gas.

The $315 factory-installed package would allow an F-150 with a 5-liter V-8 to run on propane or compressed natural gas, making it the only half-ton pickup with that capability. The customer must then take their factory-prepped truck to a qualified vehicle modifier to install the proper fuel tanks, fuel lines and fuel injectors. The cost of the upfitting ranges from $7,500 to $9,500.

Compressed natural gas costs are currently the equivalent of $2.11 per gallon of gasoline, compared with $2.58 per gallon on average for gasoline. In some parts of the country, the cost is as low as $1.

County visitors spent $893M in ’14, up $27M

Visitors to Spokane County spent $893 million last year, an increase of $27 million from the previous year, according to a study released Monday by Visit Spokane. The figures, compiled by Dean Runyan Associates, are total direct travel spending.

Travel spending generated 9,550 jobs – about half were in accommodations and food service – as well as $33.7 million in local tax receipts and $54.9 million in state tax receipts, the report said.

Visit Spokane CEO Cheryl Kilday said in a news release, “As an organization, we recognize that travel and tourism has a big impact on the community, but the increase in visitor spending validates our efforts.”

The report was released at the kickoff of National Travel and Tourism week. Other events planned this week include discounted admission to the Mobius Children’s Museum today, to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture on Wednesday and to the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum on Friday. Hotel RL by Red Lion will sponsor free rides on the SkyRide over Spokane Falls from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, and there will be special science demonstrations Saturday at the Mobius Science Center.

For more information, go to www.visitspokane.com.

Factory orders post first gain in eight months

WASHINGTON – Orders to U.S. factories rose in March for the first time since last July.

The Commerce Department said orders increased 2.1 percent following seven monthly declines. And in further good news, orders in a key category that tracks business investment plans managed to eke out a 0.1 percent rise. It was the first advance in this category after falling for seven straight months.

Orders for durable goods, which are items expected to last at least three years, rose 4.4 percent in March. Demand for nondurable goods such as chemicals and paper dropped 0.3 percent.