Frontlines
How Einstein discovered relativity, locational pricing, and participant-funded transmission.
People
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California Gov. Gray Davis named Michael Peevey president of the state's PUC, replacing Loretta Lynch. Lynch was expected to remain with the commission until the completion of her term, in January 2005. Peevey has served on the commission since March of 2002. He previously was president of Edison International. Davis also appointed Susan Kennedy commissioner, replacing Henry Duque.
Richard G. Newman, chairman and CEO of AECOM Technology Corp., joined the Sempra Energy board of directors.
Perspective
Ontario's government has imposed substantial burdens on customers, with no benefits.
On the Brink: Avoiding a Canadian California
Ontario's government has imposed substantial burdens on customers, with no benefits.
On a recent trip through Toronto's Pearson International Airport, I was stopped by an immigration official who, upon learning my business, snapped, "Why would anyone hire a Yank to advise on the Ontario electricity sector?"
Commission Watch
FERC looks ahead to the new year as it wraps up loose ends from 2002.
FERC: SMD/Grid Issues Lead 2003 Agenda
Business & Money
A top investor explains what it would take for utilities to be included in one of the best-performing funds in the U.S.
Measuring Up to Jensen
A top investor explains what it would take for utilities to be included in one of the best-performing funds in the U.S.
Passing the standards for inclusion in the $1 billion plus Jensen Portfolio Fund is like being crowned the best-of-the-best in a given industry, analysts say.
Technology Corridor
Can utilities make a credible play for power line communications?
It's Now or Never for Power Line Broadband
Off Peak
Energy scandals have made the industry the target of CBS prime-time morality soap operas and a movie.
As the Megawatt Turns
Energy scandals have made the industry the target of CBS prime-time morality soap operas and a movie.
One can only guess which energy company CBS-TV's "Touched by an Angel" was thinking of when it featured the character David Satterfield, an executive at "Dyna Energy." And the CBS movie, "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth about Enron," left no doubt about which company was being thought of.
Energy Trading: Down But Not Out
The speculative electricity trading industry has a bad case of rigor mortis, but current efforts might breathe new life into the practice.
Trading is dead. At least that’s what some analysts are saying about the electricity markets. “Trading died with Enron on Dec. 2, 2001,” says Mark Williams, an energy risk management expert at Boston University. Whether trading is really dead or not, some signs of a rebirth are beginning to emerge.
Risk Experts Speak Out: Where the CCRO Fell Short
A surprisingly timid effort for an industry on the brink.
The purpose for the Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO) recommendations, as stated in the introduction to their 198-page opus, is "to provide guidance on new methods and tools to establish a strong foundation for future growth in this (merchant energy) industry." But the reality is that the recommendations, almost without exception, fail to provide strong leadership in the areas of past and potential future abuse.
The CCRO Proposal: Missing the Industry Trend
Is a proposed solution to energy-trading woes too little too late?
Is a proposed solution to energy-trading woes too little too late?
The Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO) representing various utilities and merchant energy companies, recently released a set of detailed guidelines to improve the image and overall practices of energy trading, but the effort misses the mark.