Lincoln Renewable Energy (LRE) signed 20-year power sales agreements with Southern California Edison (SCE) to deliver electricity from the Marathon (25 MW DC) and Agincourt (12.5 MW DC) solar power plants that LRE is developing in San Bernardino County, Calif., with WDG Capital Partners. Construction is expected to begin in 2013.
Juhl Wind and 8030 Companies formed a joint venture to acquire existing wind farms and additional generating assets in the United States and Canada. Operating under the Juhl Wind name, the partnership expects to buy 260 MW of older wind farms over three years. The company might purchase projectstotaling 60 MW of capacity in 2013 and 100 MW in two subsequent years.
In the popular reality TV show Survivor, participants go through a series of contests, knowing that only a handful of winners will ultimately be allowed to stay on the island where the competitions occur. In the late ’90s, SureWest Communications – originally known as the Roseville Telephone Co. – realized that it would have to play in its own version of Survivor to remain viable in the telecommunications business.
Utilities face rate pressure as financing costs hit rock bottom.
(November 2012) Fortnightly’s annual rate case survey is designed to give readers a look at rates of return on equity (ROE) awarded in state-level retail base rate proceedings for electric and natural gas utility companies. An examination of the reasoning and commentary contained in these orders provides a glimpse into economic factors considered by regulators as they seek to balance the interests of investors and consumers when authorizing utility ROEs.
Portfolio planning in the age of gas.
PUCs are concerned that a rapid shutdown of coal-fired plants will start a full-tilt dash to gas—similar to the one that caused bankruptcies among independent power producers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But this time around, ratepayers and not IPP investors will be stuck with the risk, if utilities rush to add all that new gas-fired capacity to rate base.
Retrofitting early protected North Carolina ratepayers.
Ongoing litigation over EPA rules raises compliance risks and costs. North Carolina utilities, however, benefited from the state’s forward thinking.
A candid commentary on current topics in electric restructuring.
A no-holds-barred interview with the electric industry’s chief architect of wholesale electric market design.
Westinghouse Electric names former Progress Energy Executive as president and CEO. FirstEnergy makes numerous executive changes and appointments; Pepco hires new general counsel; plus executive appointments and announcements at AEP, PPL, PG&E, ITC Holdings, Dominion, EPRI, SEIA, and others.