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The New CEOs

Whether utility leaders come from law, engineering, or finance, one thing can be said: Many of the new CEOs have had diverse experiences.

Our annual CEO survey looks at six new utility leaders: Mike Morris of AEP, Robert McGehee of Progress Energy, Michael Chesser of Great Plains Energy, Gary Rainwater of Ameren Corp., Dennis Wraase of PEPCO, and Paul Anderson of Duke Energy.
Byline: 

Richard Stavros

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Technology Corridor: Bridging the Transmission Gap

A digital grid to the home, secured via a local fiber-optic network, could position utilities to fix power and telecom together.

Before billions are spent building new transmission lines to ensure reliable electric service, North American electric utilities should evaluate whether the alternatives — controlling demand and fostering distributed generation — might be more cost-effective and broadly beneficial.
Byline: 

Steven R. Rivkin

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People

People for January 2004.

Positions filled at Southern Co., Southwest Power Pool, Avista Corp., and others.
Byline: 

PUF

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LNG: The Next Prize?

CERA's Daniel Yergin says global gas markets will define the new century, just as oil did for the last 100 years.

Cambridge Energy Research Associates Chairman Daniel Yergin captures in a few words oil's extraordinary past. Might those words one day describe the next 100 years of natural gas development? Talking with Yergin in early November, I found a man convinced that the forces that shaped a global oil market are at work in shaping a global market for natural gas. I'll be sharing some of his words with you.
Byline: 

Richard Stavros

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Prevention Prescriptions

Reliability demands will drive automation investments.

In the days and weeks following Aug. 14, 2003, politicians scrambled to assess blame for the blackouts that plagued the United States and Canada. Even today, as the blame game pro­ceeds, the precise cause of the grid’s collapse remains uncertain. But Republicans, Democrats, and the utility industry alike seem to agree on one thing: the U.S. power grid needs major investment.
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr

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The Near-Term Fix

How to mitigate transmission risk before the next big blackout.

New legislation and bigger power lines won’t solve the immediate problem for the grid: the threat of failure. Energy providers must begin thinking of reliability in terms of days rather than years, and they must roll out programs and enhance technology now to protect assets, as well as customers.
Byline: 

Ralph G. Loretta & James E. Anderson

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The Myth of the Transmission Deficit

The grid does not need a Marshall Plan for new investment.

Do we really need to invest $50 billion to $100 billion in the U.S. transmission system? The industry says yes, but the evidence says otherwise.
Byline: 

Steve Huntoon & Alexandra Metzner

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Utility Ratemaking & ROE: Rethinking the Tools of the Trade

The industry requires new analytical tools to incorporate the realities of today's higher risk operating and investment environment into the equity allowance process.

With a “return to basics” mantra now common in the industry, coupled with the recognition of under-investment and heightened reliability concerns, most companies are now facing significant capital expenditure programs. Many utilities are considering or have filed for rate relief.
Byline: 

Mark Ciolek, Wallace Jones, and Dr. William Wilson

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