[BETA] Fortnightly

NextEra Energy sells interest in gas-fired generating portfolio; Direct Energy acquires Texas retailer First Choice Power; Pattern Energy teams with Samsung to buy Ontario wind farm; plus bond offerings from Progress Energy, PG&E, LG&E, and others totaling $1.9 billion. The public policy rationale for the regulatory compact is more compelling than ever, as governments look to utilities to serve as instruments of public policy in such areas as renewable resources, conservation and efficiency, and environmental regulation. But utilities can't perform these functions if they can't recover their costs and maintain access to capital. The industry needs to restore balance to the regulatory compact in order for utilities to continue providing superior value for customers.

In the wake of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636, gas marketing entrepreneurs gained unprecedented opportunities to compete for noncore, industrial loads. That market has matured.