Technology Corridor
Smaller systems aren't cost-effective.
It's time for a reality check on the commercial viability of wind farms. Are large wind systems more economical than small wind systems?
Keys to Transmission and Distribution Reliability
A coordinated approach helps control costs.
T&D asset management — crucial to preventing future blackouts — boils down to capital budgeting and project prioritization.
Banking on Predictability
A renewed capital investment structure is required for long-term investment in power infrastructure.
What is the relationship between capital investment and sustainable power infrastructure? A Lehman Bros. investment banker argues for a financing mechanism similar to that used with Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act contracts.
The Generation Glut: When Will It End?
An analysis of the timing, location, and mix of new capacity additions that may be needed in the future.
An analysis of the timing, location, and mix of new capacity additions that may be needed in the future.
The Case Against Gas Dependence
Greater reliance on gas-fired power implies serious economic, technological, and national security risks.
Over the past two decades, the United States has, by default, come to rely on an "In Gas We Trust" energy policy. Is such a dramatic increase in the use of natural gas to generate electricity feasible without straining gas supply and infrastructure?
LNG Rising
Despite development challenges, LNG capacity is destined to play a bigger role in the U.S. energy mix.
Liquefied natural gas tankers and terminals are being developed and built at a dizzying pace to head off natural gas shortages in the U.S. market. How big a role will it play in years to come?
Merchant Costs: Reckless Abandonment?
Some independent power producers failed to contain capital and O&M costs, adding to financial pressures.
By following some basic principles, electricity generators can conserve cash, manage risk, and thereby increase value.
T&O Rates: Premature End to A Good Thing?
Solving the dilemma.
FERC wants to eliminate direct T&O charges while at the same time compensating exporting transmissions systems through inefficient uplift charges.
In His Own Words
A face-to-face interview with FERC Chairman Pat Wood III.
In an exclusive interview, Executive Editor Richard Stavros, talks to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III about what the commission has in store for the electric utilities industry in 2004 and beyond.
Benchmarks: Are Electricity Capacity Margins Really Growing?
New England's experience may redefine the term.
The U.S. capacity margin growth of 2002 should have eased upward pressures on electricity prices. However, electricity prices surged in many areas, such as New England, where surplus electricity capacity has developed. This suggests that the standard definition of capacity margin may not be appropriate in the context of current market realities.