Recent News: Jet Engines, GE Capital, GE Commerical Finance, Wind Power, Coal Research,

Congress may restore funding for GE-Rolls Royce fighter engine
The chairman of a key defense subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives predicted that Congress would restore funding for an alternative fighter engine being developed by GE Aviation and Rolls-Royce, Reuters news agency reported Wednesday. A proposed White House defense budget released last week would cancel funding for the F136 engine, which is intended to compete with a Pratt & Whitney engine to power the F-35, or Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35 is being developed in multiple versions by Lockheed Martin Corp...

GE Capital Solutions, Franchise Finance Helps Sizzling Platter Grow with $58 Million Loan
Sizzling Platter, LLC., a multi-concept operating company with 37 restaurants, is refinancing existing debt, developing new units, and acquiring a Salt Lake City-based 51 unit Little Caesars Pizza franchisee with a senior-term debt loan and revolving line of credit from GE Capital Solutions, Franchise Finance.

GE Provides $425 Million Credit Facility to Mobilitie
GE Commercial Finance's Media, Communications & Entertainment business today announced it has provided a $425 million senior secured credit facility to Mobilitie, the owner of telecommunications towers located across the United States and a portfolio company of Oaktree Capital Management. GE - Media, Communications & Entertainment served as administrative agent and GE Capital Markets acted as joint bookrunner and joint lead arranger with TD Securities for the facility. The facility will be used to support the acquisition of additional towers and deployment of other wireless infrastructure assets....

GE: Plenty of Tailwinds for Wind Power
GE, the biggest U.S. maker of wind turbines, told Reuters yesterday that 2008 revenues from turbine sales could approach $6 billion (HT: Solve Climate.) That could mean as much as 4.2 gigawatts of turbines in 2008, if order-book prices from market-leader and price-setter Vestas are any guide. How much is that? Almost as much wind power as the U.S. installed last year. Or, about 20% of last year’s record-breaking installation. Or, just under 5% of all the wind power installed in the world today...

UW, GE team up to develop advanced coal technology centerSource
GE Energy announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with the University of Wyoming, countersigned by Gov. Dave Freudenthal, for the development of an advanced gasification research and technology center in Wyoming.The proposed center would consist of a small scale gasification system that would allow UW and GE researchers to develop advanced coal gasification technology solutions for Wyoming coals...

GE Sensors Help Control Ventilation in Schools
GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions (NYSE:GE), is helping schools control their ventilation and outdoor air supply. “Maintaining proper air quality in schools is an important part of maintaining a comfortable, healthy, productive environment for students and faculty,” said Rod Valenta, General Manager of GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies’ Telaire division...