LIPA

Seismic Omen

Fukushima shockwaves hit America’s nuclear renaissance.

In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, questions are arising about the safety and survivability of reactors located in geologically active areas. Major changes might be required, and as a result the U.S. nuclear industry might face an existential challenge on the order of the Three Mile Island accident.

Green Price Stability

New approaches account for the economic benefits of renewables.

Many green power customers benefit from long-term fixed prices. The most effective programs recognize the value of this price hedge—and fairly exempt customers from fuel cost adders in utility rates.

People

(November 2008) Atmos Energy promoted Kim R. Cocklin to the new position of president and COO. Exelon Corp. named Christopher M. Crane president and COO. Public Service Enterprise Group elected Thomas P. Joyce as president and chief nuclear officer of PSEG Nuclear. Northeast Utilities (NU) announced new leadership for Yankee Gas Services Co. and Western Mass Electric Co. And others...

King Neptune

Consultant Ed Krapels makes waves with undersea transmission.

“Make no small plans,” the saying goes, and consultant Ed Krapels has taken that to heart. Krapels' vision: Bring significant quantities of renewable energy south from Maine and the Canadian Maritimes, and inject that capacity directly into the congested downtown local grids of America’s large East Coast cities. Who could find fault with that?

Bad Day at Black Oak

Beware even the best of attempts at apportioning grid rights and costs.

Several recent complaints involving PJM and now at FERC pose fundamental questions on how regulators and grid operators should attempt to price and allocate grid rights and costs. Is the transmission network a public asset, with costs that must be apportioned on principles of equity? Or, rather, is transmission an instrument of commerce, to be priced so as to maximize trade?

Mending Our Broken Capacity Markets

The ability to provide reliable capacity is becoming both riskier and more costly to society and investors alike.

The ability to provide reliable capacity is becoming both riskier and more costly to society and investors alike.

Breaking the Gridlock

A proposal to remove the bottlenecks on grid investment.

The lack of transmission investment transcends the usual culprits, pointing to a serious flaw in market structure.

Commission Watch

What everybody missed in setting up the regional grids.

Commission Watch

What everybody missed in setting up the regional grids.

While the electric utility industry has largely agreed on what elements to include in a standard market design (SMD) to govern wholesale power trading in a given region, recent experience shows that the regulators from time to time have overlooked a number of things.

CFOs speak out: Growth Strategy for the 21st Century

For The 21st Century

For The 21st Century

Interviews by

So it begins again. After several financially tumultuous years, executives at many of the nation's top utilities can once again look to the horizon and ask the growth question worthy of a Caesar: "What worlds to conquer?"

Utility executives are emboldened by bulging free cash flows, improved credit quality, lower operations and maintenance costs, favorable regulatory treatment, growing service territories, and increasing demand for power.

Size Matters: Consider teh Alternatives

For small to midsize utilities, the costs and burdens of being a stand-alone investor-owned utility merit considering the alternatives.


For small to midsize utilities, the costs and burdens of being a stand-alone investor-owned utility merit considering the alternatives.

A pressing question for many utilities-particularly small to midsize utilities-is whether to remain a standalone publicly owned company at their current form and size. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?