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May 26, 2015 ENERGY (MSM)

Canada wildfires displace nearly 7,000

Nearly 7,000 people in Canada’s Alberta province have been evacuated from the path of wildfires which threaten to ravage homes and businesses, including oil refineries in the region, officials said Tuesday. More than 1,600 firefighters are battling the 70 wildfires, 55 of which were sparked by lightning on Sunday. Fire has creeped to within 20 kilometers of homes or oil facilities, Alberta Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier said during a telephone

May 26, 2015 REAL ESTATE

Mortgage Rates Edge Up to 3.79%, Remain Well Below 4%

Filed under: Buying, Financing, Refinancing ZillowThe weekly mortgage rate chart illustrates the average 30-year fixed interest rate in six-hour intervals. By Lauren Braun Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans rose this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgages at 3.79 percent, up 2 basis points from the same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell Thursday, then hovered around 3.78 percent before rising to

May 26, 2015 ENERGY (MSM)

The U.S. Could Get a Third of its Electricity From Wind Power—And Save Billions of Gallons of Water

Absolutely, says the U.S. Department of Energy in a new report that details the benefits of replacing fossil fuel power plants with millions of wind turbines generating carbon-free electricity. Fossil fuel power plants consume huge amounts of water for cooling. If wind supplied a third of the nation’s electricity by 2050, it would save an estimated 260 billion gallons of water a year.