Riding on The Wind
Plug-in hybrids usher a new era for wind power.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) open a new intersection between wind power and transportation.
Law & Lawyers
Back to Gas
Utility turbines bridge the capacity gap.
Utilities are turning to natural gas as a bridge fuel, and to support non-dispatchable renewables.
The New Gas Wisdom
Unconventional gas sources put a ceiling on future prices.
Unconventional gas and LNG are changing the outlook for future gas prices.
Dynamic Pricing Solutions
How to account for lack of strong price signals. A hard year puts deregulation to the test.
The greatest benefits of time-of-use pricing come from avoided costs of peaking power and T&D capacity—but only if hourly retail prices accurately model the true costs of delivered energy, including scarcity rents. Restoring the missing price signals will encourage economic investments in AMI, conservation and system capacity.
Energy Strategy: Flat Bills, Peak Satisfaction?
Why a risk-hedging product for small customers isn’t the gamble you may think.
Most believe flat electric bills pose tremendous risk, but the reality is that an exciting pricing opportunity exists. The energy supplier can manage uncertainty by gradually building program participation as it learns to balance risk and returns, or through a risk adder. The experience of Internet and telecom service providers suggests that safe, profitable flat fees can be constructed, and that customers will buy them.
Trial and Error in Texas
A hard year puts deregulation to the test.
Deregulation is being tested by a series of crises, from a devastating hurricane to the Wall Street meltdown. Regulators and companies are applying the lessons learned to strengthen the Texas market’s framework.
Ready for IFRS?
International reporting standards are coming for U.S. public companies.
Adoption of IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) in the United States undoubtedly will mark a significant change for many U.S. companies. But this change should not be feared. Moving to an entirely new accounting structure ultimately might enable companies to streamline reporting processes and reduce compliance costs.
A Multi-Pollutant Strategy
An integrated approach could prove more effective for controlling emissions.
Despite political challenges, the EPA and Congress have made strides toward a more coherent and integrated approach to regulating air emissions. The time is right to reach consensus on a multi-pollutant strategy.
Building the Next Generation Utility
Fundamental changes require bold strategies.
While many utilities have embarked upon efforts to define a path toward the next generation utility, these efforts often are siloed initiatives driven by the generation, transmission and distribution (T&D) or customer segments of the organization. Addressing the upcoming challenge will require a coordinated and integrated set of decisions so as not to sub-optimize the end-to-end value chain. Eight critical themes across the generation, T&D and customer elements of the value chain will shape the future of our industry.
California Dreamin'
Left-coast lawmakers envision a greener America.
As the new U.S. government takes shape, at least one trend seems clear: California is taking over the country. Well, maybe not “taking over,” exactly. But leading.