Number of new supply chain capabilities that drug store giant Walgreen's has determined it needs to meet future needs, as part of its effort to develop a new supply chain strategy. That according to Paul Dittmann, who heads the University of Tennessee's supply chain forum, during a presentation this week at the annual Material Handling and Logistics Conference in Park City, UT. Dittmann was presenting on the key concepts covered in his recent book Supply Chain Transformation, which in part are what Walgreen's used to develop its strategy. Those 11 new capability requirements have spawned some 25 separate projects, Dittmann says. Walgreen's SVP of supply chain and logistics, Reuben Slone, go way back, including stints together at Whirlpool.

Portion of US electrical power that is currently produced by coal-powered plants. That as news leaked this week that the US EPA is prepared to soon present new proposed rules on carbon emissions that would in effect eliminate any new coal-based generation facilities in the future. The requirements, according to the Wall Street Journal, will be for coal-plants to create no more than 1100 pounds of carbon per megawatt hour produced. That is well below current levels, and below what can be achieved even with the most modern technologies, coal advocates say. The EPA will argue that these levels can be achieved with so-called "carbon sequestration" technologies, but they have never been used in large scale operations. Manufacturers warn the new rules, if ultimately approved and they withstand court challenges, could lead to issues with consistent power delivery.