People
People for September 2004
Filled positions at the California PUC, PG&E Corp., FERC, and others.
Electric Power Research
Transmission Investment: All Talk and Little Action
Except for local reinforcements and new generation interconnections, few transmission construction proposals are moving forward.
Just how much money should be spent on transmission infrastructure in the coming years? The answer depends on which study you read, but despite discrepancies, several threads among the current studies can be ascertained.
Envision the Utility of Tomorrow
How will the industry change in the future?
Scale, synergies, and automation will transform tomorrow’s utilities, as will deregulation. But new management strategies and new technology also will play a part.
The New CEOs
Whether utility leaders come from law, engineering, or finance, one thing can be said: Many of the new CEOs have had diverse experiences.
Our annual CEO survey looks at six new utility leaders: Mike Morris of AEP, Robert McGehee of Progress Energy, Michael Chesser of Great Plains Energy, Gary Rainwater of Ameren Corp., Dennis Wraase of PEPCO, and Paul Anderson of Duke Energy.
People
People for June 2004.
Positions filled at Southern Co., Mirant, MISO, and others.
Prevention Prescriptions
Reliability demands will drive automation investments.
In the days and weeks following Aug. 14, 2003, politicians scrambled to assess blame for the blackouts that plagued the United States and Canada. Even today, as the blame game proceeds, the precise cause of the grid’s collapse remains uncertain. But Republicans, Democrats, and the utility industry alike seem to agree on one thing: the U.S. power grid needs major investment.
The Myth of the Transmission Deficit
The grid does not need a Marshall Plan for new investment.
Do we really need to invest $50 billion to $100 billion in the U.S. transmission system? The industry says yes, but the evidence says otherwise.
The Smart Grid
Has the Aug. 14 blackout finally made it more than a pipe dream?
While debate continues about the causes of the Northeast blackout, there’s no arguing that the majority of transmission and distribution in this country is controlled via mechanical technology largely developed in the 1950s.
Electric Gridlock: A National Solution
FERC should consider a two-part tariff to boost transmission investment.
The existing transmission system was built to connect a utility’s power plants to its customers. It was never designed for getting power from any generator to any customer in a competitive generation market.
People
People for October 1, 2003.
New positions at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Cleco, Avista, and others.