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Gridlock in 2030?
by Timothy D. Heidel, John G. Kassakian and Richard Schmalensee

A pair of myths is driving many investments today—i.e., America’s T&D system is falling apart, but the smart grid will save the day. A new MIT study reveals a more nuanced truth about reliability, efficiency, and plans for new technologies. The most effective policies and investments will focus on solving real problems and delivering tangible benefits. READ MORE

Cyber War!
by By Chris Petersen, LogRhythm

The United States is the global superpower of cyber warfare, but we aren’t alone in possessing these capabilities. Sophisticated attacks raise new concerns about utility vulnerabilities -- SCADA systems in particular. READ MORE

PODCAST: Exclusive Q&A with LeRoy Nosbaum - Itron CEO
by Steven Andersen

Smart grid development in the past few years has been anything but smooth. Millions of smart meters are now in the field and reaping real operational savings for utilities, but many rollouts have been met with resistance from consumers and regulators. After two years of growth fueled in part by federal stimulus, the market for smart grid and metering technology appears to be flattening out. To get a better sense of the outlook for smart grid development, Fortnightly Contributing Editor Steven Andersen interviewed Itron President and CEO LeRoy Nosbaum. READ MORE

Director, Illinois Power Agency, State of Illinois

The Director of the Illinois Power Agency is responsible for implementing the objectives of the Illinois Power Agency Act (20 ILCS 3855 et seq.) READ MORE

Vendor Neutral - January 2012

Hawaiian Electric selects Renewable Energy Group to supply biodiesel for combustion turbine; GE signs long-term services agreement with Comision Federal de la Electricidad; Nissan North America selects Coulomb Technologies to provide EV charging infrastructure locations; Siemens agrees to acquire eMeter; plus announcements and contracts involving AES Corp., Maui Electric, KCP&L, and others. READ MORE

ROE Survey Database

NOW INCLUDES DATA THROUGH 2011 -- Fifteen years of rate case information, from the archives of Public Utilities Fortnightly -- searchable, sortable and custom reportable. READ MORE

Maryland Lets Expansive Outsourcing Agreement Stand

Commission says its job is to regulate, not micromanage. READ MORE

Fortnightly 40 Report: Utilities Deliver Rock-Solid Performance for Shareholders
by Michael T. Burr

Vienna, Va.: For three years running, Ohio-based utility DPL Inc. has delivered the best overall shareholder performance of any U.S. investor-owned utility company, according to a closely watched report published in the September issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly magazine.

The 7th-annual Fortnightly 40 Report, sponsored by Accenture, ranked the four-year shareholder value performance of U.S. investor-owned utilities and merchant power companies. The C Three Group of Atlanta, which along with Public Utilities Fortnightly developed the F40 financial model, analyzed the annual reports of 82 power and gas companies to compare a series of shareholder-value metrics -- such as profit margin, dividend yield, return on equity, return on assets and sustainable growth. READ MORE

Solar Hedge for Gas Price Risk
by Steven Andersen, Contributing Editor

Most utilities now face some sort of renewable portfolio standard (RPS), but is that all that drives investment in greener generation assets? Green Utility spoke with Brad Albert, general manager of energy resource acquisition and renewable energy at Arizona Public Service (APS), about why the regulated utility has decided to exceed that state’s renewable energy requirements. READ MORE

From 'Terminator' to 'Stimulator' -- Did Arnold Sway FERC on Transmission Rate Incentives?
by Bruce W. Radford

Roughly 10 days of receiving a letter from Gov. Schwarzenegger, FERC issued two groundbreaking decisions that alter current policy and will make it far easier for wind and solar developers to secure coveted grid hookups. READ MORE

Price Signals and GHG Reduction
by Fred Wellington and Michael Scholand

In this white paper commissioned by the COMPETE Coalition and introduced by former DOE Secretary Federico Peña, Navigant Consulting analyzes how transparent markets can most efficiently allocate both electricity and carbon emissions credits. READ MORE