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Fortnightly Magazine - April 15 2003

LNG Moves In On Western Markets

What are the potential market impacts of LNG importation in the Western United States?

 


What are the potential market impacts of LNG importation in the Western United States?

Significant interest in the development of on-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities in the Western United States has emerged in the past several years. This interest has been spurred by the dramatic increases forecast for new merchant generation in the Southwest, and particularly California.

Byline: 
Andrew Rea, Jonathan Jacobs, and Mike Marelli
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PUHCA Companies: Caught By Superfund

An analysis of holding company liability under federal Superfund and parallel state laws.


An analysis of holding company liability under federal Superfund and parallel state laws.

Environmental cleanup to meet federal and state requirements carries substantial costs that tend to rest disproportionately on public utilities. Looking back at their corporate history, a few utilities have discovered some unique tools to reduce this economic burden.

Byline: 
Kenneth R. Myers, Esq.
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Frontlines

Merchant plants snub the market, using native load to create their own private rate base.

Byline: 
Bruce W. Radford
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People

Confirmed:

Confirmed:

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, by an 18-2 vote, approved Joseph T. Kelliher's nomination to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Kelliher's approval follows his second nomination by President Bush. Bush also nominated New Mexico attorney Suedeen G. Kelly to fill the remainder of a five-year term expiring June 30, 2004.

Byline: 
We welcome submissions to People, especially those accompanied by a Color Photograph. Send to:
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Letter to the Editor

Unsurprising Apathy

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to some of the issues raised in March 1, 2003, "Gas Executives' Forum." While it is admirable that executives featured in this issue, such as Bruce C. Klink, Dominion East Ohio's vice-president of regulation and pricing, and Isaac Blythers, president of Atlanta Gas Light Co., have begun making strides and meeting many of the obstacles of gas deregulation, the reality is that the success of gas choice programs continues to be mixed.

Byline: 
Public Utilities Fortnightly's
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Perspective

Flexibility is key as FERC moves toward a final rule.


Flexibility is key as FERC moves toward a final rule.

Since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its vision last July to standardize the rules governing U.S. bulk power markets, the nation's reaction to this standard market design (SMD) could safely be called swift and fervent.

Byline: 
James Fama
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Benchmarks

Three keys to heighten customer interest.


Three keys to heighten customer interest.

A recently completed analysis of innovative ratemaking in the electric utility industry by Platts Re-search & Consulting found a handful of customer-centric utilities expermenting with novel innovations in ratemaking, although most continue to miss the boat on this form of product differentiation.

Byline: 
Nathan Adams
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Commission Watch

FERC faces a growing chorus of rebellion on earnings incentives.


FERC faces a growing chorus of rebellion on earnings incentives.

"If I may say, today, we the states are the chosen ones." That was Virginia utility commissioner Hullihen ("Hulli") W. Moore, speaking on the phone in January with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Pat Wood and other federal and state regulators, trying to untangle the business of transmission reform.

Byline: 
Phillip S. Cross and Bruce W. Radford
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Business & Money

In a "like kind exchange" transaction, the IRS permits a seller to defer taxes on its inherent gain on assets being sold.


In a "like kind exchange" transaction, the IRS permits a seller to defer taxes on its inherent gain on assets being sold.

The utility community is starting to experiment with a "like kind exchange" (LKE)-a type of tax-advantaged asset acquisition and disposition transaction used extensively in connection with commercial real estate and various types of personal property, but which heretofore has not achieved widespread acceptance in the utility industry.

Byline: 
Thomas V. Glynn and J. Michael Parish
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