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Roundtable: The Future Of Generation

Meeting tomorrow’s power needs will pose tough choices.

A group of executives and analysts tell Fortnightly that the outlook for generation is positive, because it has to be. But making generation work well—affordably, cleanly, and reliably—won’t be easy.
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr

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The AGs' Global Warming Suits: Regulation by Litigation

A recent lawsuit filed by eight state attorneys general will take the industry to the place where bad policy meets with bad economics.

A recent lawsuit filed by eight state attorneys general alleges that various coal-fired generating plants are harming the states' residents because of the plants' carbon dioxide emissions. From an economic and regulatory standpoint, it's difficult to see how this lawsuit, or litigation in general, can be viewed as a prudent approach to environmental mitigation.
Byline: 

Jonathan A. Lesser

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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.
Byline: 

Andy Roberts and Gary L. Hunt

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Irreconcilable Differences?

Imported natural gas contains more Btus and fewer impurities than the domestic variety, raising questions for LNG development.

While the gas industry is not yet ready to admit it, there may be a high price to pay to deal with the differences that come from an increase in imports of natural gas from overseas. But the alternative of not paying to avert a natural gas crisis would be irreconcilable.
Byline: 

Richard Stavros

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Global Warming: The Gathering Storm

Russia resurrects the Kyoto Protocol and the prospect of either mandatory CO2 emissions cuts for U.S. utilities, or the start of a global trade war.

Once an opponent of the Kyoto Protocol, Russia is set to ratify it later this year. Will the growing alliance between Russia and the EU force the United States to satisfy the terms of Kyoto?
Byline: 

Peter J. Fontaine, Esquire

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The New CEO's

Michael G. Morris

Interviews

For Public Utilities Fortnightly's 75th Anniversary CEO issue, the magazine looked to the horizon and asked these new captains about the planned course for their companies, and for an entire industry.

Byline: 
Richard Stavros
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Perspective

Two Cato analysts suggest a return to the past-vertical integration, but now with no state regulators.

Perspective

Two Cato analysts suggest a return to the past-vertical integration, but now with no state regulators.

The defeat of the energy bill in the Senate last year has thrown electricity restructuring back on its heels. There clearly is no consensus among politicians or academics regarding how this industry ought to be organized or how it might best be regulated. Finding our way out of this morass requires a reconsideration of how we got to this dismal point in our regulatory journey.

Byline: 
Peter Van Doren and Jerry Taylor
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Mercury Rising

How will the EPA's rulemaking affect U.S. energy markets?

EPA proposes a cap-and-trade program. How does that compare with a Maximum Achievable Control Technology standard?
Byline: 

Stephen Becker and Craig Hart

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Climate Change: The Heat Is On

From reporting to trading, utilities try to meet new expectations.

Implementing a strategy on climate change is a new sign of corporate responsibility, and utilities are responding in a variety of ways.
Byline: 

Douglas W. Smith and Kyle W. Danish

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The Utility Sector: A Wall Street Takeover?

Financial players bring credit depth to energy markets, but will they play by the rules?

The center of gravity for energy marketing and trading is moving from Houston to Wall Street. Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s testing the waters?
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr

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