Constellat

When Shippers Seek Release

Price caps, secondary markets, and the revolution in natural-gas portfolio management.

When FERC decided in February, in Order 890, to lift the price cap for electric-transmission customers seeking to resell their grid capacity rights in the secondary market, it cautioned against expecting a quid pro quo for gas. Was the commission just teasing?

Where Have All the Mergers Gone?

EPACT and the repeal of PUHCA have not affected the pace of utility acquisitions.

Why do we still have several hundred shareholder-owned electric utilities in the United States, not to mention several thousand municipal and cooperative ones?

Asset Ownership Takes New Shape

The North American electric-power sector remains highly fragmented, with much consolidation potential.

During the last few years, the generating asset-ownership structure in North America has gone through a major change. During one of the most severe bust cycles of the industry, and the gradual recovery of the markets, significant amounts of assets have changed hands.

The Top Utility Stocks: New Challenges Ahead

Utilities showed strong gains last year, but other industries are gaining ground.

The Dow Jones Utilities Index posted another year of solid gains in 2006. As might be expected, in connection with both the near-term and longer-term historical investor performance of the utility sector, there’s a story within the story. Further, this performance history provides a context against which the impact of both current and emerging issues can be assessed.

People

(March 2007) Constellation Energy named Kevin W. Hadlock vice president, investor relations, and Robert L. Gould vice president, corporate communications. Subsidiary Constellation NewEnergy appointed Emily Neill as business development manager. Dynegy Inc. announced several organizational changes related to the company’s proposed combination with LS Power. Robert W. Best, chairman, president, and CEO of Atmos Energy Corp., was elected chairman of the American Gas Foundation’s board of trustees for 2007. And others...

A Utility Executives' Guide to 2007: A Cloudy Forecast

Experts predict the top issues that utilities will have to weather this year, and beyond.

A soup-to-nuts preview of the next 12 months that touches on spinoffs and interest rates, climate change and New Source Review, the future of nuclear, investor returns, and natural-gas price volatility.

What's That Power Plant Really Worth?

An analysis of current valuation trends explains why some assets command better values than most.

Average North America power-plant asset value is at $725/kW.1 Compared with our winter 2005-2006 analysis, this figure has barely changed; however, we have seen significant value movements based on region, fuel, and asset types.

People

(November 2007) Public Service Enterprise Group elected Ralph Izzo president and COO of the company and a member of the board of directors. Ralph LaRossa is president and COO of PSEG’s utility business, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. WGL Holdings Inc., and its subsidiary, Washington Gas Light Co., named Douglas Staebler vice president of engineering and construction, and Lauren Foley named vice president of consumer services. ISO New England Inc. elected two new board members: Richard A. Abdoo and Paul F. Levy. And others.

A Capital Problem: Financing the Next Big Build

As rate disallowances become more commonplace and capital requirements expand, infrastructure development will come with a higher price tag.

As the industry’s regulatory risks and capital requirements expand, financing will come with a higher price tag—and another cost pressure in the ratemaking process.

The Trouble with Risk Measures

Companies should adopt a far more robust metric.

Market risk remains one of the most significant issues for gas and power merchants. The SEC requires disclosure of market risks in a company’s annual filings. However, the allowable metrics fail to communicate the type of information an investor actually can use to gain an understanding of the market risk embedded in a company’s business.