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Building a Digital Utility: A Question of Survival

EPRI challenges the industry to modernize the grid.

Modernization of the U.S. power system is one of the most important policy steps that this nation can, and must, take. It may not be the most dramatic step, but it is the most important step toward ensuring the future welfare and livelihood of this nation.
Byline: 

Kurt Yeager

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Solving The Crisis In Unscheduled Power

While NAESB and NERC struggle over the issue, North America steadily drifts toward unreliability.

How should power flowing between NERC-certified balancing authorities be priced? The author proposes a formula.
Byline: 

Robert Blohm

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Long-Term Power Contracts: The Art Of The Deal

Long-Term Cooperative Supplier Relationships

The authors examine a “laddered” approach to pricing, whereby a wholesale supplier, instead of locking in to a long-term contract for 100 percent of current load, would be more secure financially with only one or a few staggered, partial commitments over time.
Byline: 

Amy Roschelle, William Steinhurst, Paul Peterson, and Bruce Biewald

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Profit Without Costs

An analysis of participant funding in natural gas and electricity markets.

A former FERC chairman asks: Should the cost of transmission infrastructure improvements be rolled-in with the costs shouldered by utility companies and their native customers, even if those customers receive no benefit from the expenditure?
Byline: 

Curt Hébert Jr.

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Global Warming: The Gathering Storm

Russia resurrects the Kyoto Protocol and the prospect of either mandatory CO2 emissions cuts for U.S. utilities, or the start of a global trade war.

Once an opponent of the Kyoto Protocol, Russia is set to ratify it later this year. Will the growing alliance between Russia and the EU force the United States to satisfy the terms of Kyoto?
Byline: 

Peter J. Fontaine, Esquire

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MISO: Building The Perfect Beast

Seams, holes, and historic precedent challenge the Midwest ISO's evolution.

As it addresses problems that contributed to last August’s blackout, the Midwest ISO struggles with staffing, “grandfathered” service agreements, and integration issues.
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr

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Business & Money: Fencing in the Regulated Utilities

Credit-rating linkage harms certain power companies. Ring-fencing is the best answer for regulators.

Ring-fencing may be the only regulatory device capable of leveling the playing field and forcing the holding companies to absorb the consequences of failed non-utility investments.
Byline: 

Dr. Fred Grygiel and John Garvey

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A Market-Access Plan for Vertically Integrated Utilities

Assimilating the best of the regulated-utility and merchant models.

We propose a market-access plan (MAP) that does not advocate sweeping changes. It instead builds on existing VIU frameworks with structural improvements that are technically feasible, cost-effective, and politically practicable. The result assimilates the best of the VIU and merchant models; benefits the industry investment climate; increases the level of low-cost, efficient, and environmentally friendly power supplies; and promises to save customers millions of dollars.
Byline: 

Larry Eisenstat, Pat Alexander, and Don Gelinas

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Perspective: Leave Green-Power Quotas to the States

Congress should not impose a federal renewable portfolio standard.

The adoption of an RPS by more than a dozen states has inspired and contributed to proposals for a federal green-power quota. Leave the green-power quotas to the states. PURPA should be amended to include an RPS among the retail policies that can be adopted or rejected by state public service commissions.
Byline: 

James W. Moeller

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It's Back

Energy trading returns, healthier and wiser.

As the overall market and, in particular, credit ratings begin to improve, will utilities and other energy players jump back into the energy trading market? Only if the return of trading adds real value to a company.
Byline: 

Gary L. Hunt and Grant Thain

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