Cross-Border Bargaining
Interregional grid planning under FERC Order 1000.
Territorial fights emerge in the interregional transmission plans proposed for compliance with FERC Order 1000.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
US Power Generating to Merge with Tenaska Capital
Submitted by aburr on Mon, 2013-09-23 13:18US Power Generating (USPG) entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with Tenaska Capital Management (TCM). Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, USPG will become a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of TCM. Under the terms of the merger, TCM will purchase USPG, with the final price being determined by a number of business and tax adjustments. Consummation of the merger is subject to customary conditions including approvals of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the New York Public Service Commission.
Digest
ComEd selects GE for 4 million smart meters; Duquesne contracts Itron for 625,000 smart meters; Consumers Energy plans 700-MW combined-cycle plant; Phoenix Solar contracts for 39-MW PV plant; NRG starts operation at two 20-MW PV plants in California; Edison files suit against Mitsubishi for SONGS defects; FirstEnergy plans 2 GW of coal-plant shutdowns; FERC approves PacifiCorp tie-in with Cal ISO; PSEG commissions EV-charging facilities; plus announcements and contracts involving Toshiba, Direct Energy, Alstom, and others.
Walking the Fuzzy Bright Line
The legality of state ROFR laws under FERC Order 1000.
States have passed laws to bypass FERC Order 1000 and its reforms favoring private grid developers. Could those laws themselves fall under attack?
Reliability by the Barrel
New England turns to fuel oil for the coming winter.
Burning oil when gas supplies are tight increases costs for customers. Is it also discriminatory?
Digest
Williams completes Transco pipeline expansion and plans a new one; Hudson Transmission electrifies underwater line between New Jersey and Manhattan; Northern Power wind turbines installed at Hawaii microgrid project; GE boosts efficiency of diesels powering remote Alaskan cooperative; Siemens installs supercapacitor on Oregon rail line; plus contracts and announcements from Bonneville Power Administration, Primus Power, Ameren, ComEd, Silver Spring Networks, Toshiba, Babcock & Wilcox, and others.
Bargain or Bonanza
Is discounted cash flow (DCF) still a reliable tool for determining equity cost?
The time-honored discounted cash flow method for determining appropriate utility returns falls short when interest rates are low. Inadequate ROEs ultimately increase cost of capital and wipe away any temporary savings.
Toward a Self-healing Smart Grid
Advanced distribution management technology promises to revolutionize operations.
Building blocks of the self-healing grid are taking shape. End-to-end integration will enable the grid to achieve 21st-century resilience.
FERC vs. Idaho
PURPA and the future of avoided cost rates.
A tussle between Idaho and the feds exemplifies the flood of petitions that QFs have filed during the past several years, asking FERC to enforce or confirm their PURPA-guaranteed rights.
Energy Disconnect
Misguided policies threaten resource adequacy.
Resource planning is grinding to a halt. From EPA regulations to irrational markets, today’s policy missteps threaten tomorrow’s reliability.