Last year Gazprom said it was joining Enbridge Inc (ENB.TO),Gaz Metro (GZM_u.TO) and Gaz de France GAZ.PA in developing anC$840 million LNG project in Quebec. [ID:nL8718914] (Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Simon Shuster; editing byKeiron Henderson) Stocks Russia France. Benefits are Better Household Budgeting, Monitoring Water Use CHERRY HILL, N.J., June 26 /PRNewswire/ — Effective July 1, 2009, New JerseyAmerican Water will transition customers from quarterly billing to monthlybilling, a change that will allow customers to better manage their budgets andwater usage. Approximately 250,000 of New Jersey American Water’s 640,000customer accounts had been on quarterly billing, including the majority ofcustomers in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Union Counties, aswell as parts of southern New Jersey. The billing transition comes with benefits for customers: residents will beable to monitor their water usage each month and identify abnormal usagelevels that may signify leaks in their household plumbing. Early leakdetection helps consumers conserve water and save money. Those on fixedincomes will now have the opportunity to manage their water bills in theirmonthly budgeting.”Monthly billing gives our customers the option to be more efficient withtheir water usage and in their household budgets,” said John Bigelow,president of New Jersey American Water.

“At the same time, New Jersey AmericanWater will also become a more efficient company by having uniform billingpractices throughout all of our operations.”The company has also communicated to its customers about enrolling in the freeNew Jersey American Water Automatic Payment Program, which deducts monthlypayments from a customer’s checking account without the inconvenience ofwriting checks and the cost of postage.New Jersey American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE:AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providinghigh-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately2.5 million people.Founded in 1886, American Water is the largestinvestor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company.With headquartersin Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionalswho provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services toapproximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. Moreinformation can be found by visiting Jersey American WaterRichard G. Barnes of New Jersey American Water, +1-856-310-2245,. * GE to invest $100 mln in site Stocks  |  Bonds * State tax incentives totaling $74 mln over 12 years * 1,200 initial jobs, hiring to start later in 2009 * Michigan governor: high-paying jobs at facility * GE’s Immelt calls for U.S. industrial renewal (Adds Immelt quotes, details) By David Bailey and Soyoung Kim DETROIT, June 26 (Reuters) – General Electric Co (GE.N)plans to open a research center in the economically ailing U.S.state of Michigan, in a bid to boost its technology andsoftware presence in its home country. The $100 million site will eventually employ more than1,100 people, who will develop new manufacturing techniques andsoftware to be used in the largest U.S.

conglomerate’s jetengines and electricity-producing turbines. The move came on a day that Chief Executive Jeff Immeltsaid the United States needs to refocus its economy onmanufacturing and technology, rather than counting on consumerspending and financial wizardry to drive growth. “This allows us to be lower cost, faster and build greatcapability right here in Michigan,” Immelt told reporters. Michigan, home to the nation’s auto industry, faces highunemployment as a result of the car makers’ struggles. Thebankruptcies of General Motors Corp GMGMQ.PK and Chrysler LLCand troubles at their suppliers have cost the state thousandsof jobs. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said the facility wouldreceive state tax incentives totaling $74 million over 12years, but was expected to generate income taxes and otherrevenue totaling about $146 million over that period.

“These are jobs that will pay around $100,000 a year; theseare high-paying jobs,” Granholm said. The facility will be built in Van Buren Township, about 25miles (40 km) outside Detroit. Immelt said hiring for thefacility would start by the end of this year. The announcement by GE comes on the same day that GMannounced that it will build a small car at an existing plantin Orion, Michigan. [ID:nN26327931] TIME TO ‘INSOURCE’ GE, the world’s biggest maker of jet engines andelectricity-producing turbines, also has research centers inNiskayuna, New York; Bangalore, Shanghai and Munich. Immelt said the decision to locate the new facility inMichigan reflects his believe that, like many U.S. companies,GE, has turned too many core technological procedures over tooutside contractors and foreign operations.