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Fortnightly Magazine - May 2004

Frontlines: You're Fired!

Utilities have little to show for the millions they pay in campaign contributions.

If Donald Trump could call Congress on the carpet, he would send lawmakers packing with those two now infamous words, “You’re fired!” from his reality TV show “The Apprentice.” Now think of how many times Congress has failed to pass an energy bill without incident.
Byline: 

Richard Stavros

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People

People for May 2004.

Positions filled at Southern Co., World Association of Nuclear Operators, Allegheny Energy, and others.
Byline: 

PUF

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Letter to the Editor

Letters for May 2004.

The Chair of the NERC Load Forecasting Working Group disagrees with some conjectures in "NERC's Cloudy Crystal Ball" in the March 2004 issue.
Byline: 

John Harris

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What Are the Prospects for Coal?

Unless gas prices stabilize, coal prices will continue rising.

Gas prices to power plants have surged in 2003 and rekin­dled interest in new coal-fired power plants. An increasing number of new coal-­fired projects have been announced in the last 12 months. Recently, however, coal prices have begun to creep up, especially in the eastern United States.
Byline: 

Tom Woods

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Perspective: Let's Get This Party Started

Why Ontario needs a competitive market.

Ultimately, relying on market forces is the best stick the Ontario government can use to bust open the power sector piñata and ensure that the benefits of sustainably priced, reliable electricity supplies rain down on Ontario consumers.
Byline: 

A.J. Goulding

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Commission Watch: The Tyranny of FERC

The commission's power grab over bankruptcy courts condemns merchants to a corporate netherworld.

A new district court decision out of Texas tilts the field in favor of FERC's assertion of exclusive authority over who decides whether a debtor can terminate unprofitable power contracts. For merchant energy companies struggling with dwindling capital and mounting credit risks, this change could mean bankruptcy is no longer a viable option for reorganizing.
Byline: 

Kenneth Irvin and Robert Loeffler

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Business & Money: Bringing Back The Greenbacks

A spate of proposed U.S. tax rule changes soon may open a window of opportunity for certain utilities.

The proposed Homeland Investment Act on Repatriation may soon open a window of opportunity for U.S. companies with unrepatriated foreign earnings. If passed, it potentially would allow U.S. utilities to bring money back into the country without harsh tax penalties, thereby freeing up capital to reinvest in assets here, pay down U.S. debt, or fund other liabilities.
Byline: 

Todd M. Landau, Tadd A. Fowler, and Craig King

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CIS: The New Profit Machine

How IT can allow utilities to invest in customers — and even improve returns — without breaking the bank.

The North American CIS market is undergoing a transformation. What should utilities expect from a CIS system? What should they spend? And, is CIS system replacement always the answer?
Byline: 

Lori A. Burkhart

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North American CIS Market In Transformation

Deregulation is the stimulus for a larger CIS footprint.

To achieve operational efficacy after harvesting the low-hanging fruit of cost reduction in customer care and billing, CIS products will need to integrate the complex business processes that cross the borders of several enterprise applications.
Byline: 

Zarko Sumic

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FERC's GulfTerra Orders: Changes in the Pipeline

A new FERC decision veers away from congressional intent not to burden intrastate pipelines with interstate policies.

Two recent orders in a GulfTerra Texas Pipeline LP rate case make new precedent for Natural Gas Policy Act intrastate pipelines providing interstate transportation.
Byline: 

J. Michel Marcoux

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