Become a PUF Member Organization

Fortnightly Magazine - September 1 2003

The Politics of AMR

The industry continues to debate the costs and technology of automated meter reading, even as some regulators insist on immediate implementation.

The industry continues to debate the costs and technology of automated meter reading, even as some regulators insist on immediate implementation.

 

Byline: 
Lori A. Burkhart and Richard Stavros
Read Entire Article

Water Heaters to teh Rescue: Demand Bidding in Electric Reserve Markets

With just a few changes in reliability rules, regulators could call on consumer loads to boost power reserves for outages and contingencies.

With just a few changes in reliability rules, regulators could call on consumer loads to boost power reserves for outages and contingencies.

 

In proposing a standard market design (SMD), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) makes clear that it wants customers to participate in wholesale power markets, such as by bidding an offer to curtail consumption, increase supply, and reduce upward pressure on prices.

"We believe in the direct approach of letting demand bid in the market," says FERC.

Byline: 
Eric Hirst and Brendan Kirby
Read Entire Article

Technology Corridor

Outdated "wisdom" wastes the nation's electricity infrastructure. Distributed CH&P is the answer.

Technology Corridor

Outdated "wisdom" wastes the nation's electricity infrastructure. Distributed CH&P is the answer.

 

The use of wasted heat-which now comprises two-thirds of the energy value of the fuels used in generat-ing electricity in this country-may be the most important benefit from using more distributed generation.

Byline: 
Gary Nakarado and Holly Thomas
Read Entire Article

Aquila: Better Off Dead?

Bankruptcy may not be better for ratepayers.

In an ironic twist, Aquila now looks more and more like a traditional, stick-to-the-knitting electric utility. There is no longer any unregulated operation to worry about.
Byline: 

Richard Stavros

Read Entire Article

People

People for September 2003.

New positions at Mirant, Chesapeake Utilities, Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners, and others.
Byline: 

PUF

Read Entire Article

Letters to the Editor

Letters from Andrew Paterson, a principal at Environmental Business International, and Professor Sheldon Landsberger, Director, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab, University of Texas at Austin.
Byline: 

PUF

Read Entire Article

Cycle Frequencies Drive Turbine Choices

The 50 hertz market is poised for growth as the 60 hertz market levels off.

At the beginning of 2003, 59.2% of the world’s installed generating capacity operated on 50 hertz and 40.8% on 60 hertz. As markets such as Southeast Asia and China, which run on 50 hertz, begin to surpass traditional markets in capacity additions, this balance will shift even further toward 50 hertz.
Byline: 

Arnold Leitner

Read Entire Article

Edison Shrugged

The crisis of confidence in today's power industry is, at its heart, a crisis of ideas.

A market-based system requires that regulators establish a level playing field but not interfere unduly with the game itself.
Byline: 

John B. Howe

Read Entire Article

Bankruptcy Courts vs. FERC Smackdown!

The developing jurisdictional battle over authorizing rejection of wholesale power supply agreements is getting white-hot, pitting creditors against ratepayers.

Many judicial and administrative battles remain to be fought over wholesale power supply agreements of debtor merchant companies, and both creditors and ratepayer advocates will seek to invoke a variety of trumping strategies. In the meantime, the question of who takes the financial hit, the creditors or the ratepayers, hangs in the balance.
Byline: 

Howard L. Siegel

Read Entire Article

The New Dividend Kings

Sizable gains return to the market.

SNL’s safe dividend picks appeared to do well for any market. However, like the fine golden years of the late ’90s for all things technology, recent months have returned sizable gains to investors of energy stocks—not what one would expect from slow growth, dividend-paying electric and gas utilities that make up the majority of the SNL Energy universe.
Byline: 

Scott Barclay

Read Entire Article
V