Table of ContentsFeaturesNSR changes trip fewer triggersIn November 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released both proposed and final changes to New Source Review (NSR), the major air pollution permitting program that applies to most power plant projects.
Demise of PSE's TOU program imparts lessonsPuget Sound Energy (PSE) serves about a million customers in the suburbs of Seattle. In May of 2001, PSE designed and implemented a time-of-use (TOU) rate for its residential and small commercial customers (see Electric Light & Power, February 2002, page 8).
OpinionGuarded optimismThis describes the overall tone conveyed by the keynote speakers at POWER-GEN International 2002 in Orlando last month. Don't get me wrong—it wasn't doom and gloom, but it also wasn't a tent revival.
Letter to the Editor: Taking CEO to taskI have read EL&P for most of my career. I have enjoyed it and have benefited from your objective reporting of power industry information.
DepartmentsNewsNews BriefsPBS&J acquires Durham: Engineering and consulting firm PBS&J has acquired Durham Technologies Inc., a firm specializing in the development of analytical methodologies for risk measurement, modeling and management.
How to build infrastructure in the NIMBY eraBefore September 11th, Enron, WorldCom and Martha Stewart, the over-whelming need to upgrade our nation's energy infrastructure made national headlines. In fact, it was a primary focus of the Bush administration.
Meter data processing provides no silver bulletMeter data is the lifeblood of any utility, primarily because it forms the basis for billing customers and so is directly tied to revenue. The strategic importance of the data, however, has only recently begun to emerge.
Benefit of counsel:Allocating CRRs to benefit load and facilitate marketsThis month we consider the issue of the allocation of congestion revenue rights ("CRRs") in the context of the FERC's proposed Standard Market Design.
Study says some customers worse off after restructuringA five-state study by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) on how residential consumers have been affected by energy market restructuring documented the adverse impacts of passing through short-term wholesale energy rates to these consumers.
Power complex utilizes outside trainingMaintaining high productivity and strong company systems in a dynamically growing, multi-site power plant complex can pose numerous problems, particularly in training. Many power companies find that to assure training won't be compromised, it becomes imperative to bring in outside vendors.
Many small businesses willing to pay their utilities for energy management servicesWhile data from a survey of 50 utility companies shows that almost three-fourths (74 percent) say they offer energy management consulting to commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, many of them are ignoring their small business customers when it comes to helping manage energy usage.
FERC judge dismisses Nevada contract case against Allegheny Energy SupplyAllegheny Energy Supply announced that a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) administrative law judge has dismissed a complaint by Nevada utilities against the company. The judge's decision will now go to three FERC commissioners who can approve, reject, or modify the decision.
Electric Light & Power to sponsor EMACS 2003 Conference & ExpoPennWell's Electric Light & Power Magazine (EL&P) will be a sponsoring publication of EMACS 2003, the fastest growing knowledge-sharing event for customer service and marketing professionals in the utility and retail energy industry, EMACS organizer Chartwell Inc. announced.
Ontario to fall from 11th to 28th place in North American progress on electric competitionOntario Premier Ernie Eves' drastic Nine-Point Plan in response to the province's current competitive electricity regime will result in both long and short-term harm to the province's economy, according to a report issued by the Canadian Centre for the Advancement of Energy Markets (CAEM Canada).
FinanceVenture capital volume continues to lagGeneral market venture capital investments in 2002 are expected to post their weakest showing since the year of funding spanning 1996 through 1997.
SDG&E files five-year proposalSan Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for review and approval of its Cost-of-Service case, a detailed projection of its expenses and revenue requirements for 2004 and a formula for 2005-2008.
Court rules to keep defendants in Enron shareholders' lawsuitThe federal judge handling the Enron Corp. securities lawsuit ruled against several major financial institutions, law firms and Arthur Andersen, substantially denying most defendants' motions to be dismissed from the case.
Electric & Gas TradingA roadmap for credit analysisMany events in recent months have led to a heightened awareness among board members, CEOs, CFOs, risk managers and shareholders of the amount of potential exposure arising from counterpaty default.
FERC judge dismisses Nev. case against Allegheny Energy SupplyA Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) administrative law judge has dismissed a complaint by Nevada utilities against Allegheny Energy Supply, a subsidiary of Allegheny Energy Inc.
Industry ReportPower industry sees only modest growth in capital spendingThe electric power market is an exceedingly dynamic one, with many opposing underlying factors at work concurrently. Electric power companies spend an enormous amount of money on capital projects every year to ensure a steady stream of revenue for the future.
Info. TechnologyTurning potential into reality with utility e-billingThe monthly billing cycle is one of the most common occurrences in American life. An estimated 18 billion recurring bills are sent to American consumers, who then send back 23 billion checks in payment.
Bandwidth case study: Nevada Power chooses BeldenIt's not often you hear of a company contemplating the switch to an all-copper system from its half-fiber/half-copper communications network. But that's exactly what Nevada Power Company did recently—and they have already gained tremendously from that decision.
Making the right investments in CRM could impact your bottom lineRestructuring is unfolding at various stages across the United States and around the world. The consequence for utilities is a transformed model for customer relationship management (CRM).
Seamless outsourcing allows utilities to focusWhen a Duke Power customer telephones the company to discuss credit and collection issues, they doubtlessly assume that they are speaking to a company employee.
Managing mobility: Ten tips to protect your laptopsThey're everywhere: laptops, smart phones and PDAs. Once reserved for the elite and the traveling business professional, these technologies are now being deployed in organizations at an astonishishng rate.
Transmission & DistributionExperts worry that SMD will weaken gridFERC's latest notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) on standard market design (SMD) has the transmission community thinking seriously about where this is all going.
Power system monitoring: A key to optimizing utility performanceDeregulation has increased the need to understand the expected reliability and power quality characteristics of utility power systems.
GenerationHow to increase plant efficiency through positive O&MWith the recent economic downturn of the power industry in the United States, it has become increasingly important for every plant owner to ensure that each facility is performing at its peak.
O&M impact from equipment condition monitoring softwareEquipment condition monitoring (ECM) software is helping to deliver higher return on assets (ROA) by substantially lowering O&M costs and increasing generation revenue.
Generation BriefsIn December, a coalition of environmental organizations which includes CTA, Sierra Club and Greenpeace, announced that it is suing the Bush Administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its continued failure to take action on global warming.
Management MethodsMake your criticism pay offFew managers relish criticizing their people. Appraisal and counseling sessions frequently create hostility and often do more harm than good to the employee-manager relationship.
Power PointersPrimer on supercritical steamThermodynamics govern the ultimate performance of Rankine cycles whether they are used in a coal fired steam power plant or the bottoming cycle of a combined cycle plant. In order to increase the efficiency of those cycles, higher pressure and temperature steam conditions are desired.
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Issue 1
January 2003
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