Electric Light & Power articles from March 2005

Electric Light & Power archives from March 2005

Events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... : April 10-15 : International Conference of Doble Clients www.doble.com Boston, Mass. 10-15 : Metering, Billing, CRM/CIS America Spintelligent www.metering.com/events/mam2005 Las Vegas 17-21 : 2005...

Will Exelon E&G be greater than the sum of its parts?(commentary)
March 1, 2005... In this issue, we present an exclusive interview with John Rowe, president and CEO of Exelon, a utility company that recently made big news when it announced that it would merge with Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG) of New Jersey to...

Rowe reveal Exelon's "culture in transition".(profile)(interview of John Rowe)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... In this issue's profile, we discuss nuclear energy, corporate culture, diversity and one whopper of an upcoming merger with Exelon's chairman, president and CEO John Rowe. KD: You helm the largest nuclear fleet in the nation--approximately...

Surviving the amazing retention race: the ultimate power & energy reality show.(news)
March 1, 2005... A recent research project by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 75 percent of all workers are actively or passively looking for new employment. If you are surprised by this "amazing race" to find new and better jobs, or...

Benefit of counsel: success of wind energy, requires immediate changes in federal policies.(news)
March 1, 2005... To meet the demands for reliable energy sources, increased fuel diversity, reduced dependence on foreign oil and an improved environment, existing policies that hamper wind development must be changed. Without immediate action, calls for...

Executive spotlight: David Ratcliffe: Chairman, President and CEO.(Southern Company)
March 1, 2005... Company Profile With more than 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of...

Hedge funds see energy's potential.(news)(hedge funds in electric utilities)
March 1, 2005... 2005 is the year that energy will come of age as an alternative investment class. Already, hundreds of hedge and pension funds have seen the year's potential and are active across the industry from commodities trading through distressed assets,...

Marketing buzz: what does it take to be a J.D. Power award winner?(news)(interview of Al Destribats)(J.D. Power utility group)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... I attended a customer service and marketing conference last fall featuring a speaker from SRP, a large municipal utility in Phoenix which has consistently won the J.D. Power award for customer satisfaction. I got to thinking about how J.D....

Impact of the declining dollar on utility M&A.(news)(economic conditions)
March 1, 2005... Over the last several years, the dollar has declined dramatically against most major currencies. Since the beginning of 2002, the Finex U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the value of the dollar against leading foreign currencies, has declined...

Algae emissions reduction concept shows new promise.(news)(GreenFuel Technologies Corp)
March 1, 2005... Well-informed readers of EL&P may recall that past studies by the U.S. Department of Energy and other organizations demonstrated that numerous species of algae can reduce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides from combustion emissions. However,...

Preparing for mercury regulations.(news)(coal fired power plants mercury emissions regulations)
March 1, 2005... After more than a decade of studies, proposals, meetings, drafts, and re-drafts U.S.EPA is poised to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Final mercury control regulations were expected to be issued by March 15, 2005....

The power of utility branding.(industry report)
March 1, 2005... CoreBrand has been tracking the performance of corporate brands since 1990, including those of electric utilities. We've mined our database for insights, looking at rates of change in the industry's key brand measures over 14 years. ...

Diverse energy demand fires old & new investors.(finance)(energy sector investments)
March 1, 2005... A recent Forbes article, Energy Bull Has Room to Run, noted that energy stocks were the leading investment in 2004 and will likely remain so because "demand-driven energy bull markets tend to have staying power." But, what demand is that? Which...

Exclusive C three equity index: energy utilities continue to outpace S&P 500.(finance)(C Three Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The C Three Group's Composite energy utility index continues to lead the S&P 500 for 2005, up 2.9 percent vs. -0.5 percent for the S&P. Merchant Energy is finally beginning to show sustained improvement, up 30 percent since the last EL&P...

Three "C"s of recurring payments: choice, convenience and control.(it/cis/crm)(recurring payments program )
March 1, 2005... Recurring payments (RP) made through payment cards offer electric utilities a simple and highly effective way to reduce costs, improve cash flow, and enhance customer service. Also known as automatic bill payment and direct payment, RP lets...

Business drives CIS trends.(it/cis/crm)(customer information systems)(information technology in utility sector )
March 1, 2005... The utility industry has long had a reputation for lagging behind other businesses in the adoption of new approaches to information technology, there are catalysts driving widespread, though cautious, investment in IT solutions, particularly in...

E-billing the right way.(it/cis/crm)(Internet self service for customers )
March 1, 2005... Few utility websites deliver more than basic e-billing and consequently fail to realize the full potential of Internet self service to reduce customer care costs and improve customer service and loyalty. This is because many mistakenly approach...

U.S. hydropower: 125 years old and full of energy.(generation)
March 1, 2005... HYdropower, first used in the U.S. in 1880, is one of the nations most valuable resources. It is low-cost, domestic, renewable and emits no air pollution. Hydropower also plays a major role in fighting global warming, provides recreational...

Communication is key for preventing blacKouts.(transmission & distribution)(enterprise notification system for communications)
March 1, 2005... For some, the first days of spring bring thoughts of summer warmth and relaxation. But, for those in the energy industry, the onset of warm weather means it's time to plan for spikes in usage and other energy management challenges. Combining...

The case for strategic asset optimization.(risk management)(asset optimization software for electric utilities)
March 1, 2005... How easy is it to define and regularly adjust long-range maintenance and financial plans for a power station? Are these plans making the best use of resources and capital to reduce operating risk, maximize generating capacity and cut overall...

8 ways to harness worry.(management methods)
March 1, 2005... Of all the activities in which we engage, the least profitable is worry. Not only is nothing gained by it; much is frequently lost. Worry saps our energy, distorts our perceptions, and can actually result in adverse physical effects. ...

Give your people assignments that train.(management methods)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Most assignments are viewed simply as a means of sharing the work burden with employees. That's certainly their primary function, but it's not the whole story. They can serve another, sometimes more important, function: training your people for...

Progress Energy.(William Orser retires)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Progress Energy's group president of energy supply, William Orser, has recently retired. Orser has served as group president of energy supply since 2000.

Patton Boggs LLP.(appoints Roy Lessy Jr.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Energy attorney Roy Lessy, Jr. has joined Patton Boggs LLP as a partner in the public policy and regulatory practice. He is based in the firms Washington, D.C. office.

KEMA.(appoints Blake Morrison)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Blake Morrison comes to KEMA as director of business development for the Southeast U.S. Morrison previously served as director of business development for Kinectrics.

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC).(Michehl Gent plans to retire)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Michehl Gent, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) intends to retire at the end of this year. Gent joined NERC in 1980 as executive vice president and was elected president in 1982.

Electri-Flex.(Chicago Electric Hall of Fame elects Ed Marinelli )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ed Marinelli of Electri-Flex was elected to the Chicago Electric Hall of Fame.

Ameren.(appoints Dr. Gayle P. W. Jackson)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dr. Gayle P. W. Jackson, an advisor and consultant to energy firms, has been elected to the Ameren board.

Sierra Pacific Resources.(appoints Joseph B. Anderson Jr. )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Sierra Pacific Resources has named Joseph B. Anderson, Jr. to its board of directors. also joins the boards of Sierra Pa utility subsidiaries, Sierra Pacific Company and Nevada Power Company.

EL&P editor-in-chief Steve Brown.
March 1, 2005... EL&P editor-in-chief Steve Brown flew to Phoenix in February to personally deliver Salt River Projects (SRP) Utility of the Year award (see full story in November/December EL&P. Steve met general manager Richard Silverman, president William...

Encorp.(opens new office)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Encorp has opened an additional office in Rochester, N.Y.

ICF Consulting.(Kyoto complaint)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... According to ICF Consulting, U.S. companies are at a "competitive disadvantage" as companies in the rest of the world take action to become Kyoto complaint. "Investment by corporate America to improve operating efficiency will have no value in...

Black & Veatch Corp.(acquisitions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Black & Veatch Corp. has completed the acquisition of R.J. Rudden Associates and Lukens Energy Group, Inc.

Entergy Nuclear.(Gary J. Taylor speaks at Westinghouse Symposium 2005)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Entergy Nuclear CEO says Congress needs to expand nuclear energy. "If we value our environment, our quality of life and our children's future, we must decide soon how we are going to meet our future energy demands, Gary J. Taylor, president and...

Intro.(Energy Transaction Software info)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Welcome to the 9005 Energy Transaction Software Guide, produced by the editorial staff of Electric Light & Power magazine. Within these pages, you'll find a summary of the functionality and features of products from more than 30 vendors of...

Filling the gaps.(welcome)(Sarbanes-Oxley reporting standards)
March 1, 2005... Last year's trend toward easy-to-implement, modular components that offer a plug-andplay approach to filling gaps in enterprise reporting has continued for 2005. The ability to tie records of energy transactions together, from deal entry,...

The 'new breed' of ETRM software.(details)
March 1, 2005... It is clear in the volatile world of commodity transactions that "new generation" software is here, has been here, and will stay here to be reckoned with by a world and industry that are forever changing. And, if there is one thing the new...

2005 energy transaction software comparisons.(data)
March 1, 2005... 2005 Energy Transaction Software Comparisons key Y = Yes N = No A = Not Applicable B = Before the end of 2005 Able Soft- ...

Vendor list.(profiles)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2005... Able Software, Inc. 23 Mauchly St. #105 Irvine, Calif. 92618 www.able-soft.com Able Software, Inc. develops enterprise software solutions for the utility industry including electric, gas, water and sewage. Able Software...