Business news in brief

Polar price spikes have claimed one casualty among the region's competitive energy suppliers. Clean Currents Benefit L.L.C., a renewable-energy provider from Silver Spring, Md., stopped taking new accounts and turned its existing customers back to their utilities Friday. The company notified customers "that the recent extreme weather, which sent the wholesale electricity market into uncharted territories, has fatally compromised our ability to continue to serve customers." Clean Currents customers are in no danger of losing supply, said Jennifer Kocher, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The PUC cautioned customers using a competitive supplier to review their contract as frigid temperatures and high demand have driven the wholesale price of electricity higher. Customers with variable contracts may see their prices increase, the PUC said. - Andrew Maykuth

The City of Philadelphia said it refinanced $154.28 million of general obligation bonds, first issued in 2008. The city Treasurer's Office said the change will save more than $1.38 million annually for the next 24 years. - Inquirer staff

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania recently approved $2,075,000 in funding, in various amounts, for 11 early-stage companies: Biomeme (Philadelphia), CloudMine (Philadelphia), gatherDocs (Philadelphia), Gentis (Delaware County), Optofluidics (Philadelphia), Rajant (Chester County), SnipSnap App (Philadelphia), United Preference, VUID (Montgomery County), X-Nav Technologies (Montgomery County), and Zuppler Online Food Order (Montgomery County). - Inquirer staff

Strong bike sales helped drive up Harley-Davidson's earnings by about 20 percent for 2013. The iconic motorcycle manufacturer, based in Milwaukee, has a facility in York, Pa. The company's profit jumped 17.6 percent to $734 million, up from $623.9 million in 2012. - McClatchy

Britax is recalling about 216,000 strollers because of a risk to partially amputate fingertips, break fingers, or cause severe lacerations, among other injuries, when pressing the release button while pulling on the release strap. The B-Agile, B-Agile Double, and BOB Motion single and double strollers were sold from May 2011 to June 2013 for $250 to $450. - Associated Press