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Energy Policy Act

Energy People: Jim Rogers

We talked with Jim Rogers, former CEO of Duke Energy.

Duke is now made up of five companies that existed in 1992. There are three difficult tasks in doing a successful combination. One is to negotiate it. The second, maybe the most difficult task, is actually getting the approval at both the state and federal levels. And lastly, the really hard work of combining the companies. It’s getting the cost savings as well as the revenue enhancements associated with the transaction. It is keeping the most talented people.
Byline: 

Jim Rogers, with Steve Mitnick

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A Holistic Cyber Strategy

Security must be organizational – simply complying will leave you vulnerable.

Workforce Management: Because standards are aimed only at critical assets, cyber security must be holistic – with all employees involved.
Byline: 

Chip Scott, Justin Lowe, and Amanda Levin

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Enforcement Times Two

FERC and CFTC begin sharing information to target market manipulation in the energy industry.

Closer coordination between FERC and CFTC (and perhaps also with DOJ) will increase enforcement risk for energy industry traders.
Byline: 

Steven F. Reich, Charles F. Connolly and J. Porter Wiseman

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Life in the Transco Age

The competitive transmission genie is out of the bottle.

FERC Orders 890 and 1000 have opened the doors to independent transcos, heralding an era of innovation to solve reliability and capacity problems.
Byline: 

Elliot Roseman, Ken Collison, and Kiran Kumaraswamy

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How to Build a Fence (and When)

A formal methodology for developing ring-fencing arrangements and setting conditions.

How can decision makers determine the appropriate degree of ring-fencing for a utility holding company? The authors propose a systematic and objective method – recognizing business and financial risks specific to the regulated utility and its affiliates.

Byline: 

Howard Lubow, Ryan Pfaff, Robert Malko, and Leslie Moore Romine

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Transmission Policy in Flux

More planning, fewer incentives, and a black swan on the horizon.

The transmission superhighway still needs major investments. Rate incentives were working -- until FERC started backing away from them. FERC should assert its authority more aggressively to promote the vision of a robust interstate grid.

Byline: 

David Raskin

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Bottling the Genie

Why deregulation is easy and reregulation is hard.

Even with convincing evidence that deregulation has failed to deliver promised benefits, efforts to restore public oversight face tough resistance. The reasons involve policy inertia—and blind faith in free markets.

Byline: 

Douglas N. Jones

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Looking Beyond Transmission

FERC Order 1000 and the case for alternative solutions.

How FERC Order 1000 gives short shrift to NTAs (non-transmission alternatives) in regional system planning—while consumers pay the price.

Byline: 

Elizabeth Watson and Kenneth Colburn

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Regulated Tax Equity Finance

Distribution utilities could become an important source of renewable funding.

Distribution utilities are well positioned to provide tax equity for renewable projects, but some state laws prevent it. Tapping the potential will require progressive leadership by utility executives and regulators.

Byline: 

Ralph Loomis

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