New Hires:

DPL Inc. named James V. Mahoney president of DPL Energy LLC. Mahoney has been with EarthFirst Technologies since 2001.

The board of directors of Piedmont Natural Gas elected Kim R. Cocklin senior vice president and general counsel. Cocklin's previous experience includes time as senior vice president at Williams Gas Pipeline and senior vice president and general counsel at Texas Gas Transmission Corp.

Western Markets: An Investor's Minefield

 

State PUCs Show Split Personality

 

 

While electric restructuring pauses, telecom pushes forward.

No matter which way they turn, state public utility commissions (PUCs) have their work cut out for them.

While federal policy-makers push ahead with wholesale market reforms in the electricity sector, many at the state level now call for a cautious approach to protect consumers.

DCF Utility Valuation: Still the Gold Standard?

 

 

Field Service Computers: Consider the Variables-and the Benefits

 

 

Communications platforms, ruggedness, software, and other factors all play a part in your purchase choice.

When a utility considers equipping its field service work force with computers, the decision-making process often starts with software-not with questions about the ruggedness of the utility's field device, or whether the company should go with a Panasonic or an Itronix laptop.

A One-Sided Conversation with Ken Lay of Enron

By (with thanks and apologies to Bob Newhart)

"Ken Lay, please... Oh, Ken, hello, you answer your own phone these days? ... No, I'm not a telemarketer, or a creditor... OR a reporter. Please don't insult me, Ken. This is Bob, your attorney.

U.S. companies' international strategies turn sour, as Europe faces a future with an oligopoly of power companies.

While the European Union is pushing to give all industrial and commercial customers electric choice by 2004, giant incumbent European utilities are increasingly dominating power markets across Europe and the United Kingdom.

The Russian power sector is priming itself for outside financial and infrastructure investment. By Branko Terzic and James Balaschak

Prospects for the successful development of the Russian power sector in the next 20 years will depend on the inflow of private investment into the industry. The crucial task, as clearly understood by both the Russian government and the management of the major power companies, is how to significantly raise the attractiveness of the industry to private investors.

The Federal Energy Commission of Russia is set to restructure the country's energy rules and make opportunities for investment attractive.

Potential investors in Russian energy will be particularly interested in Regulation 226, "On Price Formation Regarding Electric and Heat Energy." Enacted on April 2, 2002, this regulation, if implemented as fully presented, provides an attractive basis for the balance of interests between investors and consumers of Russian electricity called for by Federal Energy Commission of Russia (FEC) Chairman Geor