In Search of... Transmission Capitalists
Facing a cash crunch, transmission owners look for new funding sources.
Law & Lawyers
Off Peak
Teen's life saved by utility line. Can industry say the same?
Teen's life saved by utility line. Can industry say the same?
We can only hope it's a metaphor for the electricity industry.
In January, Joe Thompson III, 18, of Blue Springs, Kansas, was cruising along in his Jeep Wrangler sans seatbelt.
Suddenly, a car turned in front of Thompson. His Jeep clipped the other car and rolled, ultimately throwing him 25 feet or so in the air.
Technology Corridor
It's not just for enviros any more.
It's not just for enviros any more.
Green building. It's a trend that means newly constructed buildings consume 10 to 50 percent less energy than traditionally constructed buildings, yet cost only a small percentage more than standard construction. And it's a trend that is rapidly gaining a foothold with large residential and commercial builders. No wonder utilities of all sizes across the country are paying attention.
Business & Money
Which public companies have the best payout-and which missed the list?
Commission Watch
National Grid balks, says FERC intended TransLINK as model for the East.
PJM ITC Tariff Splits With Midwest
Feel-Good Electric Waste
Like diets that make us fat, efficiency is bad for the environment.
The last 30 years in America have seen great improvements in the energy efficiency of electric motors, appliances, and other end-use equipment. Think of compact fluorescents, ground-source heat pumps, and thermal window glazing. Add variable speed drives, chilled water AC, and high-pressure sodium street lighting. You name it, we've got it.
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.
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.
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.
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.