Denver – City officials are negotiating an agreement with MMA Renewable to lease about 7.5 acres at Denver International Airport to the company, which plans to build a solar-power plant on the site. The city is also negotiating a deal to purchase solar power from MMA Renewable.
Additional business news briefs:
DENVER
Qwest motion in retiree suit denied
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Boyd Boland has denied Qwest’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by retirees over the company’s effort to end a pension death benefit.
Boland denied the motion on the basis that it was attached to other requests he couldn’t rule on until trial. As such, he also ruled that Qwest could have until Oct. 30 to refile the motion for summary judgment.
DENVER
Mesa Networks buys Clear Reach segment
Mesa Networks, a wireless Internet service provider in Colorado, said Monday that it has acquired Denver-based Clear Reach Networks’ business voice customers in a deal valued at $400,000.
The customers are mostly small to medium-sized Denver businesses that use Voice over Internet Protocol.
DENVER
Xcel tests cleaner coal-fired system
A new system that could significantly improve a coal-fired power plant’s operational efficiency and reduce its emissions is being tested at Xcel Energy’s Hayden Generating Station in northwest Colorado.
The new system is expected to reduce byproducts, resulting in increased boiler efficiency and reduced time for maintenance.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
EchoStar adds HD sports channels
EchoStar Communications Corp., provider of the Dish Network, said Tuesday that four of the regional sports channels it broadcasts are now available in high definition:
DENVER
Qwest exec to chair Black Chamber group
Qwest announced Wednesday that Roland Thornton, executive vice president of wholesale markets, will chair the new nonprofit foundation created by the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce.
DENVER
Film Society adds new board members
The Denver Film Society board of directors announced it has four new board members: Jaime Aquino, David Dynak, Stephen Hatfield and Nancy Silverstone. The society also elected Nina Henderson Moore as chair, Brian London as treasurer and Clark J. Strickland as secretary for 2007-08.
DENVER
2 more sentenced in mortgage fraud
Two more people have been sent to federal prison for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme that devastated an Aurora neighborhood with foreclosures.
On Wednesday, Ronald Fontenot was sentenced to 6 years in prison and ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution to defrauded lenders. Fontenot was one of the leaders of a group that bought houses at inflated prices in the The Villas at Cherry Creek development. Earlier this month, Nicole Puller was sentenced to 34 months for her role.
The buyers used inflated appraisals to borrow more money than the houses were worth, pocketed $2.1 million and left many of the houses vacant until lenders foreclosed. Seven people have been sentenced.
DULLES, Va.
GeoEye gains orbit, launch insurance
GeoEye Inc., which has operations in Thornton, announced it has secured about $270 million of launch and first year on-orbit insurance for its GeoEye-1 satellite to launch in the first half of 2008.
WASHINGTON
Sallie Mae buyers trying to back out
The planned $25 billion buyout of student lender Sallie Mae was thrown into jeopardy Wednesday after the investors said terms of the deal were no longer acceptable.
Sallie Mae, officially SLM Corp., vowed to pursue legal remedies against the investor group led by private-equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co.
