Fortnightly Magazine - June 1 2002
Electricity Restructuring is No License for Central Planning
RTOs will perpetuate regional monopolies and political rate regulation.
Economists sometimes get confused - especially when the real world doesn't fit into their neat boxes.
Network industries like telephone and electricity are today's case in point. Economists have viewed these parts of the economy as requiring special attention from regulatory authorities. They're viewed as "natural" monopolies displaying "economies of scope" and characterized by risky "lock-in" or "path dependency" features. That supposedly makes them prone to abuse by their free-market owners, and therefore in need of impartial regulatory oversight.
Wayne C. Crews and Fred L. Smith
The Top 10
The Ten Most Intriguing Business Decisions in the Post-Enron World.
Distributed Generation: Hype vs. Hope
Separating myth from reality in identifying DG applications.
Jonathan A. Lesser, Ph.D. and Charles D. Feinstein, Ph.D.
Standby Generation: A New Proposition
A cost/benefit analysis of full interconnection of customer-owned standby generators.
Joshua Meyer, John Farls, and Dennis Troester
CEO Power Forum: Leadership and Credibility in Uncertain Times
The leaders of the electric power industry greatly want to put a positive spin on the current state of affairs in their business.
Mark Hand
Strategy Gurus: Managing Under Chaos
Post-Enron management philosophies for surviving uncertain times.
Jennifer Alvey
Energy Execs: Not Everybody Gets Top Dollar
Compensation is still inconsistent, especially compared with other industries.
Richard Stavros
Energy Earnings and FASB: A Volatile Mix
Understanding how the "normal purchase and sale exclusion" under FASB 133 affects earnings volatility.
Mike Walker
Derivatives in the Boardroom?
Positioning the risk professional in the corporate hierarchy.
David C. Shimko