According to the California Energy Commission (CEC), programmable communicating thermostats (PCTs), originally included in the proposed 2008 energy efficiency building standards, have been removed. Instead, regulators said they plan to work with utilities on possible voluntary programs.

TLC Plumbing and Utility was awarded one of the Best Places to Work in New Mexico by the New Mexico Business Weekly. TLC ranked No. 2 in the large business category for the state of New Mexico.

The Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ (BCAZ), the cofounder of the “Best Places to Work” list, announced that Tri-City Mechanical has been named to the 2007 list in the large-sized category (over 250 employees) for the second year in a row.

Harris Companies, one of the largest mechanical contractors in the United States, announced that it has acquired Climate Control, a Phoenix-based mechanical contractor serving the commercial and residential sectors.

The Orange County Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has partnered with the Orange County Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the Orange County and Greater Los Angeles Chapters of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) to accept non-monetary donations on behalf of the communities affected by the recent Southern California wildfires.

Trane and Ferguson have entered into a new distribution agreement that will significantly expand Trane’s distribution capacity in California and Nevada. Under the agreement, Ferguson Heating and Cooling will distribute Trane residential and light commercial products in the California and Nevada market area.

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has adopted new rules for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to permit submetering of tenants in high-rise commercial buildings. According to officials, submetering will offer building tenants a new tool to improve their energy efficiency and participate in demand response.

Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC (HSWAC) is currently developing a 25,000-ton seawater air conditioning district cooling system for downtown Honolulu. The system is designed to serve buildings in the downtown core.

The leaders of six Western states and two Canadian provinces have approved the Western Climate Initiative. The initiative sets mandatory targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 percent by 2020.

Chris and Linda Stanfield’s Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in the East Valley/Greater Phoenix area has been raking in a number of business awards this year.