Electric Light & Power Articles, November 2009

Table of Contents

Columns

EE Technology Shows Are Blueprint for Success

Recently I attended an energy efficiency (EE) technology show targeting commercial and industrial customers.

Overcoming Boundaries (Real and Imagined) to Hydrokinetic Power Development

Hydrokinetic power harnesses the motion of waves or the flow of tides, ocean currents or inland waterways to generate electricity without the impoundments or diversions used in traditional hydropower.

Will the Meter Still Matter?

In 1954, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss issued his infamous words predicting that electrical energy would become “too cheap to meter.”

Cap-and-Trade Success Requires Ratepayer Fairness in Distribution of Emission Allowances

When the jockeying over allocation of carbon dioxide emission allowances ends, Congressional stewards of the legislation must ensure the distribution of allowances is fair and sustainable.

Features

2008 Operating Performance

Generators Continue Record Performance, Even in Recession

2009 Utility of the Year: Exelon

Exelon made the top five of nearly all the 2009 utility rankings, so Electric Light & Power editors knew from the beginning that it would be a strong contender for the 2009 Utility of the Year award.

Sections

Economy Affects Utility Compensation

A year ago, many executives were discussing ways to create attractive compensation packages while keeping costs down.

After a Tough Year, Power Sales Could Be Poised for Recovery

As companies across the United States close their books and prepare to go public with their latest earnings statements, utility holding companies continue to wade through an economically tumultuous tide ...

Where the Wind Comes Sweepin? Down the Plain

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II knew the power of Oklahoma’s wind in 1947 when they wrote of it “sweepin’ down the plain” in the show tune “Oklahoma!”

Wave and Tidal Power Growing Slowly, Steadily

Proponents of wave and tidal power have compared the state of this area of the renewable energy sector with the early days of wind power.

Taxing Carbon: Are Benefits Worth the Costs?

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2454, known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act, or Waxman-Markey.

Changes in Natural Gas Composition and its Effect on Low-Emission Combustors

As traditional global sources of natural gas are exhausted, new nontraditional sources such as coal bed methane and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) will supply a bigger fraction of the total demand.

Energizing Utilities for the Economic Stimulus Plan

With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more than $11 billion is allocated to create a bigger, better, smarter electric grid.

Network Standards, AMI and the Smart Grid

Facing imminent advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart grid investment decisions, electric utilities realize the value of building out their AMI and smart grid systems based on networking standards.

Meter Data Management, Advanced Pricing Programs

Driven by government regulations and investments—and even customers—utilities’ smart grid and meter discussions are evolving from long-term aspirations to necessities as many take steps to implement more advanced metering systems.

Customer Bill-Print, Mail-Processing Update

Almost weekly, e-newsletters and trade magazines discuss the growth of outsourcing.

The Smart Grid Raises Questions of its Own

The dominant takeaway from GridWeek in Washington, D.C., is that utilities nationwide are looking positively toward the release of $4.6 billion in stimulus funds for the smart grid.

Microgrids and M2M

Beecham Research Ltd. is focused exclusively on the $45-billion machine-to-machine (M2M) market and views microgrids from that perspective, lying within the energy service sector, one of nine sectors tracked by Beecham.

The Secret for People Who Don?t Believe in Voodoo

The latest fad in motivation is the law of attraction, or more popularly “The Secret” after the motion picture and book by Rhonda Byrne. The idea is that if you use the power of “The Secret,” you will attract health, wealth and friends in abundance.

Commentary

Preparing for Electric Vehicles

Even though gas prices at the pump are much lower than they were 12 to 18 months ago, plug-in hybrid electric and plug-in electric vehicles are still getting a lot of attention.

Current Magazine

Nov/Dec 2009
Volume 87
Issue 6
November 2009
 

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