Enron's Lessons

Some will stray from ethical behavior. But markets must be regulated to maintain confidence.

Enron's collapse stands perhaps as the most the indelible bankruptcy in US history - one that not only triggered a recession but also caused lawmakers and regulators alike to remake the rules by which corporations must live. A key question remains, however: Are markets today better insulated from manipulation?

2nd Microgrid Development for Public and Private Sectors West Coast Conference

Revolutionize energy storage systems, renewable technologies, and structural design to enhance energy reliability and overall microgrid productivity. Following the success of the First Annual West and East Coast Microgrid Conferences, the 2015 West Coast edition continues to provide a platform for public and private sector professionals to demonstrate and discuss their successful microgrid projects and lessons learned.

Transactions (May 2015)

FuelCell Energy closed its definitive agreement to sell a 1.4-MW fuel cell power plant project to NRG Energy; FPL proposes to purchase CBAS Power for a price of $520.5 million; Renewable Energy Trust secured CAD $115MM in financing to acquire the 12.6 MW DiscoveryLight and 14.2 MW FotoLight projects from Canadian Solar; b secured $86.2MM in financing to acquire the 31.26 MW DC McHenry Solar PV Plant in Modesto, Calif. and the 13.1 MW DC Heber Solar PV project in Imperial County, Calif.; Peabody Energy completed its offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 10% senior secured second lien notes due 2022; AES intends to offer $575 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2025; And others ...

Digest (May 2015)

Sonoma Clean Power will build the largest floating solar array in the U.S., scheduled to be completed in 2016 and will create enough energy to power 3,000 houses; GE announced the construction of two service centers focused on the operation and maintenance of wind turbines in Brazil; Open Systems International was awarded a contract by Seattle City Light to implement a new energy management system; FirstEnergy expects to invest about $225 million on distribution and transmission infrastructure projects in north-central West Virginia; APR Energy commissioned an expansion of its power plant in Myanmar; The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved Westinghouse Electric’s testing approach for the Westinghouse small modular reactor design; FuelCell Energy agreed to sell a 1.4-MW fuel cell power plant project to NRG Energy; ABB and Samsung SDI signed a memorandum of understanding to promote microgrid solutions globally; And others ...

A Tale of Two Technologies

Uncle Sam didn’t frack this one up.

Technological progress can be function of productive public-private partnerships that help shoulder risks and raise capital.

Show Them the Money

Customer Connection: How to win over customers on energy efficiency.

New Research into energy efficiency, smart grid technologies and renewables will have utilities and regulators pleasantly surprised.

Fueling an Economic Comeback

The shale gas boom is creating jobs and saving money for U.S. manufacturers.

We hear a lot about dry natural gas used to fuel electric generators. But we hear less about wet natural gas, or so-called natural gas liquids that are the underpinnings of everyday consumer products. Both are building a new American economy.

Shale Gas Showering Economy

The U.S. steel and chemical industries are among those benefiting from natural gas production.

The shale gas boom isn’t just for drillers and power generators. It’s also for manufacturers and chemical makers, which now have access to an inexpensive and abundant fuel to use as both power and a feedstock.