Fortnightly Magazine - June 1 2000
Electric Retailing: When Will I See Profits?
Wait for the "second wave," when new products help suppliers escape the trench warfare of pricing.
The Standard Power Contract: A Hedge Against Price Spikes?
EEI's contract is ready to go for physical trades of electricity, but the architects say it's likely too late to make a difference this summer.
Frontlines
Frontlines
Scare Tactics
The Wall Street Journal is goading Congress to act. And it might just work, if the warnings come to pass.
On May 8 ISO New England predicted it would have enough electricity to meet peak demand this summer. But how much demand are you gonna see at $6,000 per megawatt-hour, which was the ISO's prevailing price that day from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m?
News Digest
News Digest
Perspective
The fuel cell article in the March 15 Fortnightly twice mentions a target of $50 per kilowatt for fuel cells. (See "Fuel Cells: White Knight for Natural Gas?" p. 22.)
I hadn't heard that target before. At that price, something like the General Electric/Plug Power residential unit of 7 kilowatts would cost $350 (instead of something like $3,500, which has been talked about). Anything close to $50 per kilowatt would be truly incredible.
News Analysis
News Analysis
EDI Standards: At a Snail's Pace in New York