Meeting tomorrow’s power needs will pose tough choices.
Should transmission owners get paid extra for distance and voltage?
Technology Corridor: Mandatory portfolio standards have different implications for different technologies.
Can natural gas supply keep up with demand for power?
Business & Money: Merchant plants now draw investors from three different worlds — each with its own agenda.
Perspective
Congress should not impose a federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS).
Since 1978, the federal government has relied on tax incentives to promote the generation of electric power from renewable resources-"green" power from hydroelectric facilities and windmills, solar panels and photovoltaic cells, facilities that burn biomass, municipal waste and landfill gas, and geothermal and ocean thermal resources.
Buyers generally acquire a mix of long- and short-term contracts, with the goal of finding the optimal trade-off between price and flexibility.
For both buyers and sellers, forward contracts guarantee the exchange of a known quantity of goods at a known price and for a given time frame. From the buyer's perspective, such a contract not only guarantees delivery of a critical good, at an agreed upon price, but also reduces the costs of procurement operations, as prices do not have to be negotiated continually.
The treacherous journey toward a more efficient and transparent Northwest power market may be nearing its conclusion.
Steve Wright stands at the helm of an agency with a seemingly impossible task. As CEO and administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Wright must serve a broad spectrum of interests, from aluminum smelters to sockeye salmon. And no matter what he or anyone does, it's impossible to make them all happy at the same time.
Perspective
Grid reliability is one giant step in mainstreaming the technology.
Wind power is coming of age in the United States. During the past five years, installations have grown by an average 28 percent yearly. Gleaming, high-tech wind turbines now are interconnected to the bulk power grid in some 30 states.
Commission Watch
California anticipates changes in energy policy under its new governor.
The recall of California Gov. Gray Davis in November 2003 almost immediately led to speculation concerning possible changes in California's energy policy. Since his election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has assembled an Energy Working Group, co-chaired by Professor James L.