America's Canadian Problem
U.S.-Canada electricity trade is shrinking, and some American companies may be left without their megawatts for the summer.
ISO New England
The Merchant Asset Fire Sale: Deal of the 21st Century?
Companies that were on a buying spree before 2001 are putting assets worth billions n the block
Companies that were on a buying spree before 2001 are putting assets worth billions n the block
A casual observer might expect that the industry's economic condition would produce a cornucopia of cheap assets for acquisitive companies . Eventually it might, but so far, it generally has not.
FERC's Market Design: The End of a 'Noble Dream'
How state opposition cowed the feds and turned a powerful rule into just a set of talking points.
How state opposition cowed the feds and turned a powerful rule into just a set of talking points.
A funny thing happened on the way to a standard market design (SMD). What began as a full-fledged rulemaking-with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) giving instructions and imposing deadlines on the electric utility industry-now has degenerated into little more than a set of talking points.
Talk about cold feet.
Commission Watch
FERC looks ahead to the new year as it wraps up loose ends from 2002.
FERC: SMD/Grid Issues Lead 2003 Agenda
The Green Controversy
Who should have "green tag" ownership under power purchase agreements, the buyers or the sellers?
Who should have "green tag" ownership under power purchase agreements, the buyers or the sellers?
A legal controversy is brewing in the electric industry over who should reap the financial benefits of the green characteristics of power plants, under existing power purchase agreements (PPA).
Gen Interconnection: Lessons From New England
How rules muted price signals and did not ensure efficient siting.
How rules muted price signals and did not ensure efficient siting.
Of the new rules proposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for interconnecting new power plants to the transmission grid, the most controversial (for transmission providers and generators alike) is FERC's choice of who should pay to construct the various categories of required new facilities.
Low-Tech vs. High-Tech AMP: The 21st Century IT Debate
Some want to cut costs, others to improve service.
Some want to cut costs, others to improve service.
Uncertain economic times have always moved companies to find ways to cut costs. Utilities and energy companies are no different. They have turned to automated meter reading (AMR) during the past years in increasing numbers.
But many technology experts disagree on strategy: should utilities go high-tech or low-tech on AMR?
Loss Modeling in T&D Systems: Is $25 Billion Worth Losing?
Energy players can lose a lot more than their shirt if they fail to model transmission losses properly.
A Vision for Trasmission: How the RTOs Stand
And where the trouble spots lie in FERC's grid plan.
And where the trouble spots lie in FERC's grid plan.
The mood appeared calm on June 26 in Washington, D.C., at the regular bi-weekly meeting of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Key officials from various regional transmission organizations (RTOs) had gathered before chairman Pat Wood and the other commissioners to brief them on progress over the past year in reforming wholesale electric markets, and on what the FERC might expect in the summer at hand.
A Dynamic Mission: Protecting Utility Assets
State public service commissions are insisting that utilities adopt risk management programs, and are allowing less pass-through for those that don't.
Many electric utilities have been on high alert since Sept. 11 to protect the assets within their systems from cyber and physical attack. For instance, 21 U.S. nuclear reactors are located within five miles of an airport, but 96 percent of all U.S. reactors were designed without regard for the potential for impact from even a small aircraft.