PA Companies Tap into Electricity Deregulation
By: Marty Levine, 12/18/2008
As vast swaths of the Commonwealth brace for electricity rate caps to
expire and drive up prices, emerging PA firms are having success helping
businesses and consumers find ways to save.
Happy Holidays from Keystone Edge
By: Keystone Edge, 12/18/2008
Keystone Edge is taking the next two weeks off to celebrate the holidays and get some rest before the new year. We'll be back with a sparkling new issue on January 8, 2009.
The Big Play: Risks and Rewards in the Marcellus Shale
By: Rory Sweeney, 12/11/2008
As natural gas drilling rigs come online across northeast Pennsylvania,
landowners and energy companies alike are hoping the Marcellus Shale
will yield billions of dollars worth of natural gas and reinvigorate
the region's economy. Some residents are also hoping to learn from the
experience of communities elsewhere in the country, where drilling for
natural gas has brought mixed results.
Leading Ventures Keep Their Cool
By: Marty Levine, 12/10/2008
In an uncertain economy, top VC firms in Pennsylvania are sticking to
what they know works best: software and information technology
companies with solid business models and well-laid plans for growth.
Raising the Ship: CMU Robotics Team Gunning for the Moon
By: Abby Mendelson, 12/4/2008
Dr. William "Red" Whittaker and his team of young scientists at
Carnegie Mellon are competing in the Google Lunar X PRIZE--a $30
million international competition to send a robot to the moon. But
Whittaker isn't in it for the money or the moon; he wants robots to
change the world.
Philly's American Commerce Center: Looking Beyond the Credit Crunch
By: Thomas Walsh, 12/4/2008
With credit markets frozen and the economy in recession, it might seem
like the proposed 1,500-foot American Commerce Center in Philadelphia
will need a series of miracles to survive. But the mixed-use behemoth has already managed to get the zoning approvals
it needs from City Council, and also reportedly has hefty financial
backing. Against the odds, plans are moving forward. All it needs now
is a small miracle.
The New Downtowns: Renaissance in the Long Run
By: Marty Levine, 11/20/2008
Cities across the Commonwealth are working hard to re-make their
downtowns in the hope that a thriving center of mixed-use developments
and cultural amenities is the key to a sustainable future.
Three Rivers Film Festival: Q&As with Pittsburgh Directors
By: Erin Goldberger, 11/20/2008
"Deuce," a documentary screened last week at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, tells the story of Lawrence "Deuce" Skurcenski, a Pittsburgh sports fixture for the last half-century. Another festival film, "The Korean," is an action-packed feature from Pittsburgh director Thomas Dixon. Keystone Edge sat down with the brothers behind "Deuce," Joe and Mark Graziano, and also with Dixon, to talk about filming in Pittsburgh.
At EthosGen, Ethanol is a Family Affair
By: Rory Sweeney, 11/13/2008
About 20 years after Bill Abrams figured out an efficient way to make
ethanol, his son Jim is figuring out how to make it profitable.
Going to Work Playing Games
By: John Steele, 11/13/2008
In terms of annual revenue, which is expected to top $57 billion next
year, video games are the new Hollywood. So shouldn't game developers
get the same incentives to do business here that filmmakers do?
The 100K House: How a Philly Startup is Trying to Change the Green Housing Industry
By: Teresa Masterson, 10/30/2008
About four years ago, Chad Ludeman and his wife Courtney bought a house
and spent two years and their life savings working to restore and
rehabilitate it. Then on Memorial Day 2006 Chad came home from his
engineering job and told his wife he wanted to sell their house, quit
his job, and build an affordable "green" house, proving to the world
that you don't have to be wealthy to build and live green.
Urban Renewal and The Promise Of PA's Brownfields
By: John Steele, 10/16/2008
As Pennsylvania communities become increasingly engaged with development projects, they are beginning to grapple with the question of brownfield redevelopment--and are making their voices heard.
Free Agent Nation
By: Brian Hickey, 10/10/2008
Web designers, reporters, and a host of other professionals in Pennsylvania are shrugging off allegiance to a single company and striking out on their own as freelancers. The result is a new way of working, marked by an intensely creative entrepreneurial spirit.
Rooftops Sprout Over Pittsburgh
By: Joseph Plummer, 10/10/2008
In Pittsburgh, engineers are working with nature to shape spaces and grow buildings--literally. Green rooftops are taking root on some of the Steel City's most distinctive buildings.