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Law & Lawyers

Digest

NorthWestern Energy issues RFPs for 400 MW; FERC approves AEP's plan to spin off Ohio generation; NRG starts up 720-MW peaking plant in California; Dominion and FuelCell Energy break ground on largest North American fuel cell plant; U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin commission microgrid at Fort Bliss; Duke-American Transmission Co. acquires Path 15 transmission line from Atlantic Power; plus contracts and announcements involving ECOtality, TC Pipelines, S&C Electric, Black Hills Corp., and others.
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Improving Capacity Markets

FERC decision on PJM mitigation is a model for other ISOs and RTOs.

Capacity markets have been a significant source of controversy since the inception of competitive wholesale markets. While there are many regulatory questions to be answered in constructing capacity markets, the primary goal of such markets should be to attract capacity that is competitively priced.

Byline: 

Rich Miller and Raghu Sudhakara

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Rise of the Machines

Who’s afraid of the transactive grid?

Smart grids and nodal markets spark the emergence of a transactional grid. In fact it’s already happened, and we’re just becoming aware.

Byline: 

Michael T. Burr, Editor-in-Chief

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SGIP, New and Improved

Making the case for collaboration on interoperability standards

The mission of harmonizing industry standards moves forward in the work of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel 2.0, Inc.

Byline: 

John D. McDonald

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People (August 2013)

Dominion appoints Hunter Applewhite to lead Dominion Foundation; Lisa Johnson leaves Old Dominion to become CEO at Seminole Electric Cooperative; President Obama nominates former Colorado commissioner Ron Binz to chair FERC; Edison Electric Institute names its new officers; plus appointments and executive changes at AES, PG&E, Sempra, Ameren, Duke, and others.
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Pricing Social Benefits

Calculating and allocating costs for non-traditional utility services.

Alternative ways to calculate utilities’ costs of service allow policy makers to achieve social goals in a way that’s fair and economically efficient.

Byline: 

Ralph Zarumba, Benjamin Grunfeld, and Koby Bailey

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Transactions (August 2013)

During the month of June, MidAmerican issued $1 billion in bonds for solar projects in California; PG&E sold $750 million in two tranches; ITC floated bonds totaling $550 million; plus debt issues from Duke, TransCanada, Entergy, and others totaling $4.35 billion.

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Energy Disconnect

Misguided policies threaten resource adequacy.

Resource planning is grinding to a halt. From EPA regulations to irrational markets, today’s policy missteps threaten tomorrow’s reliability.

Byline: 

Stephen L. Teichler and Dennis Hough

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FERC vs. Idaho

PURPA and the future of avoided cost rates.

A tussle between Idaho and the feds exemplifies the flood of petitions that QFs have filed during the past several years, asking FERC to enforce or confirm their PURPA-guaranteed rights.
Byline: 

Bruce W. Radford

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Accentuate the Positive

A practical guide to explaining the value of the smart grid.

Despite challenges, grid modernization is paying off for customers. Smart grid progress depends on clarifying the vision and communicating value.
Byline: 

Patty Durand

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