People
People for August 2004.
Positions filled at FERC, Colorado PUC, CMS Energy, and others.
Law & Lawyers
Long-Term Power Contracts: The Art Of The Deal
Long-Term Cooperative Supplier Relationships
The authors examine a “laddered” approach to pricing, whereby a wholesale supplier, instead of locking in to a long-term contract for 100 percent of current load, would be more secure financially with only one or a few staggered, partial commitments over time.
A Market-Access Plan for Vertically Integrated Utilities
Assimilating the best of the regulated-utility and merchant models.
We propose a market-access plan (MAP) that does not advocate sweeping changes. It instead builds on existing VIU frameworks with structural improvements that are technically feasible, cost-effective, and politically practicable. The result assimilates the best of the VIU and merchant models; benefits the industry investment climate; increases the level of low-cost, efficient, and environmentally friendly power supplies; and promises to save customers millions of dollars.
It's Back
Energy trading returns, healthier and wiser.
As the overall market and, in particular, credit ratings begin to improve, will utilities and other energy players jump back into the energy trading market? Only if the return of trading adds real value to a company.
Perspective: Leave Green-Power Quotas to the States
Congress should not impose a federal renewable portfolio standard.
The adoption of an RPS by more than a dozen states has inspired and contributed to proposals for a federal green-power quota. Leave the green-power quotas to the states. PURPA should be amended to include an RPS among the retail policies that can be adopted or rejected by state public service commissions.
Energy Customer Management: The Customer as Strategic Asset
Achieving financial returns from increasing customer satisfaction.
Utilities are too oriented around meters and service delivery, rather than around customers. Implementation of customer lifetime value methodology could change that.
After FERC’s Market Power Ruling: New Money Into Gen Sector
Will financiers dominate the market?
The recent approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of its "interim" market power screen and policies on investor-owned utilities (IOU) affiliate transactions is changing the market dynamics for buying and selling generation assets. Yet, while the market test has drawn plenty of comments and complaints, the long-term effects are still uncertain.
Demand-Side Management and Metering Tech: The Ideal Fusion
Combining real-time usage data with the newest technology can earn benefits for utilities.
Bringing together real-time pricing usage information and the newest computing and communication technology can generate extraordinary benefits for utilities.
What is an Advanced Meter?
The technology behind demand-side response.
If energy legislation requires all utilities to offer demand-response programs, will your company be ready? A review of advanced metering is in order.
Coal: Paying a King's Ransom
What's causing price volatility, and will it last?
The long period of sub-full-cost pricing in the 1990s caused great rationalization in the coal industry, leaving a much healthier and sensible market. One consequence of this is that the floor price for coal in most regions has risen about 25 percent in the last few years. With natural gas prices expected to remain high for some time, those coal markets where ready capacity is at current demand levels will see steadily high prices.