Solar project firm SunEdison could file for bankruptcy any time

Maryland Heights, Mo.-based SunEdison is expected to file for bankruptcy protection at any time after it announced last week it was in talks to finance its operations after such a filing is made.

The solar power project developer also plans to borrow $310 million in cash to cover a $260 million shortfall.

According to a New York Times story, SunEdison incurred massive amounts of debt in a buying spree meant to expand its global renewable energy footprint. But investors last year seemed to lose faith in the renewable energy sector, and SunEdison was doomed. It didn’t help that the company is currently under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Customers already could watch whatever content they wanted via Amazon Prime, but the “everything store” confirmed Monday it was launching a standalone video service priced a dollar per month less than Netflix’s newly-announced monthly rate.

Netflix is getting rid of the $7.99 monthly plans many of its users were grandfathered into even as prices for new subscriptions rose back in 2014. Now, everyone will pay $9.99 a month for Netflix, while the new Amazon service will cost $8.99.

Amazon Prime, meanwhile, offers customers everything the standalone video service does but also offers perks on shipped goods purchased online. It costs $99 a year unless users want to pay for that per month, too, in which case it’ll cost $10.99 a month, the company announced.

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Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries intent on cutting crude oil production — which would be followed by a corresponding price increase — left a meeting in Doha, Qatar without a deal because Iranian representatives didn’t even show up.

It could send crude oil prices — and gas prices — downward once again.

According to Bloomberg, members of the oil production cartel would only agree to cutting production at their own sites if Iran also would cut production. Iran didn’t attend the meeting, much less agree to a production cut. Now, everyone will keep upping the supply in order to compete, driving prices downward.

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Hall-of-Fame defensive end and television football commentator Howie Long will being appearing on TV as a spokesman for Skechers.

According to a statement, Long “will appear in a campaign that promotes the footwear brand’s comfortable and stylish men’s collections.”

You can expect to see Long in his first Skechers commercial by next football season.

“From the field to the studio, I’ve spent a lifetime of Sundays on my feet, so it feels great to add some Skechers comfort to my wardrobe,” Long said.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Solar project firm SunEdison could file for bankruptcy any time."