Law & Lawyers

Walking the Ports and Services Gauntlet

An approach to complying with NERC’s new cybersecurity standard, CIP-007 (R2).

NERC’s new standards require utilities to lock down network ports and services. Compliance calls for a systematic approach to cataloging and tracking.

Where Did My People Go?

Today’s talent deficiency is tomorrow’s imperative.

The utility talent gap is widening. New technologies and evolving markets call for a more proactive approach to building the future workforce.

Digest

ComEd selects GE for 4 million smart meters; Duquesne contracts Itron for 625,000 smart meters; Consumers Energy plans 700-MW combined-cycle plant; Phoenix Solar contracts for 39-MW PV plant; NRG starts operation at two 20-MW PV plants in California; Edison files suit against Mitsubishi for SONGS defects; FirstEnergy plans 2 GW of coal-plant shutdowns; FERC approves PacifiCorp tie-in with Cal ISO; PSEG commissions EV-charging facilities; plus announcements and contracts involving Toshiba, Direct Energy, Alstom, and others.

Manpower Strategy for Mutual Aid

Superstorm Sandy showed that when it comes to manpower, resources to execute normal operations are becoming scarcer. A new strategy is required to coordinate disaster response and recovery.

Final Report for Assessment of Visibility and Control Options for Distributed Energy Resources

KEMA, Inc., (supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Energy Exemplar LLC (owners of PLEXOS production cost software); hereinafter referred to as the “KEMA Team”) provide this report to evaluate the market and operational impacts, and quantify the benefits and cost associated with gaining visibility and control of projected Distributed Energy Resources (DER) in California. 

For the People

Former Progress Energy CEO checks in from his new job at TVA.

Fortnightly speaks with William Johnson, CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority, about managing the country’s biggest government-owned power supplier.

Hidden Predictability

Mining price signals in Ontario’s electricity market.

Hourly spot prices in Ontario power markets reveal no particular pattern – that is, unless you plot the price as a monthly average.

Cross-Border Bargaining

Interregional grid planning under FERC Order 1000.

Territorial fights emerge in the interregional transmission plans proposed for compliance with FERC Order 1000.

Five Years Later

Wall Street is back in business. What’s next for utility finance?

When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008, it marked the beginning of a financial crisis. By most accounts, the utility industry has been a picture of stability through tumultuous times. The view from Wall Street remains bullish – despite some reasons for concern.