Electric Light & Power articles from March 2007

Electric Light & Power archives from March 2007

Events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... APRIL April 15-18 EEI Spring Transmission, Distribution and Metering Joint Conference Columbus, Ohio eei.org April 23-26 GridWeek Washington, D.C. gridweek.com MAY May 7-11 Metering, Billing/CIS America San...

Commentary.
March 1, 2007... You don't have to be a confirmed cynic to suspect that TXU's new corporate steward-of-the-environment persona is not all about saving the Earth. You just have to be a tad less than totally naive. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Fort...

Good start for the New Year.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I thought the articles in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue were particularly relevant, interesting and well written. Thanks. Chris Weathers Senior Consulting Engineer Customer Account Management Arizona Public Service Co.

What's left of Mobile-Sierra.(COLUMNS: Benefit of Counsel)
March 1, 2007... The Mobile-Sierra Doctrine recognizes that in requiring that rates be "just and reasonable," Congress did not intend to impose this standard on rates initially fixed by private contracts when later challenged by FERC or a third party. Rather,...

E-billing for satisfaction and savings.(COLUMNS: Customer Service, Utility Style)
March 1, 2007... As utilities across the country deploy electronic billing for their customers, they are finding that customers appreciate and value having billing options, while the utility benefits from reduced print and mail costs. Offering customers...

Bad law: the legacy of California's botched power market.(COLUMNS: Taking It Into Account)
March 1, 2007... Law school professors routinely assign judicial decisions for analysis that achieved notoriety before being decided, or surrounding which the competing equities seemed to clash with rote application of established law. Frequently, the...

Stories from the risk front.(COLUMNS: Risk & Technology)(utility companies)
March 1, 2007... Changes in accounting rules, Sarbanes-Oxley and deregulation have forced utility companies to seek better risk management programs. As they broaden their risk management capabilities, the biggest challenge is consolidating massive amounts of...

Encouraging higher ethical standards: integrity cannot be legislated at any price.(NEWS / ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2007... In the last three years, many failures--and changes--have transpired in old guard industries, including the energy and financial sectors. While the effectiveness of some of the post-Enron changes is questionable, on the whole they're...

Smart grid vision meets distribution utility reality.(SECTIONS: Finance)
March 1, 2007... The term "smart grid" is hyperbole that seems to imply a future when the grid runs itself absent human intervention. While this is clearly not the case, there is a hard reality emerging: The smart grid concept in many ways suggests that utility...

Qualifying facilities in the post-EPAct world: challenges and opportunities for QFs, Part II of III.(SECTIONS: Risk Management)
March 1, 2007... While it's true that the the Energy Policy Act of 2005 created a number a challenges for qualifying facilities, there remain significant--and unique--benefits and opportunities for QFs. In fact, contrary to rumors of the demise of the...

Beware the ides of March: regulators unsheath their daggers.(SECTIONS: Risk Management)
March 1, 2007... Despite more than 30 years of deregulation efforts, energy continues to be one of the most regulated industries in the country. Even energy trading, which grew outside the shadow of energy regulation as a competitive activity, is increasingly...

The waves about to crash: U.S. climate change policies.(Industry Report)
March 1, 2007... Climate change regulation in the U.S., discussed in this country for more than two decades and now being set in California and the Northeast, is gaining acceptance in the electric utility industry and is likely to be federally mandated in the...

Arizona sets solar course: "roadmap" study sees great economic potential.(SECTIONS: Renewables)
March 1, 2007... In Arizona, members of the private and public sectors are being asked to do what we've all been told not to: stare straight into the sun. Anyone who's been in Phoenix in July knows that there's plenty of sunshine to go around. And now a...

Customer care: analysts reflect on trends for 2007.(SECTIONS: IT/CIS & CRM)(Discussion)
March 1, 2007... Utility needs and supporting technologies are finally converging. That was the common theme of our customer care trends panel, and it comes as no surprise. For 2007 and beyond, the accelerating pace of technological development will impact...

Did someone mention change?(CIS Week)
March 1, 2007... The days of steady methodology and planning for low risk are over for the utility industry. As I read, study and attend conferences the more convinced I become that although the future is bright for our industry, change will continue to be a...

Changing the voice of customer service.(SECTIONS: IT/CIS & CRM)
March 1, 2007... Customer service should be a piece of cake. However, we all know it's not quite so simple. Many factors can stand in the way of your utility's commitment to top-notch customer care. But automated messaging technology is changing the face,...

CIS Week 2007 promises the best in education and networking.
March 1, 2007... The Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. Fla.. will play host to CIS Week from May 21-24. 2007. In this beautiful resort setting, executives, vice presidents. managers, directors and all levels of customer service personnel will have the...

CIS Conference 31.(SECTIONS: IT/CIS & CRM)(Company overview)
March 1, 2007... Agenda Workshops sorted by track Track SI : Customer Systems and Implementations Concentrates on customer system implementations and processes for utilities. Workshops address customer service functionality and technical aspects...

"Answer my call!" Technology helps utilities get customers off hold.
March 1, 2007... Customers tolerate very little from their utilities when it comes to poor performance. Energy delivery is so reliable, in fact, that customers take it for granted--and they expect all other operational aspects of their utility company to run...

New nuclear projects? The status of key financing incentives.(SECTIONS: Generation)
March 1, 2007... The Energy Policy Act of 2005 contained three incentives that are poised to play key roles in financing new advanced nuclear power projects in the U.S.: standby support for certain nuclear plant delays; production tax credits; and loan...

Maximizing: transmission planning efficiency.(SECTIONS: T&D)
March 1, 2007... Planning for the future expansion of the electric transmission system has been evolving, moving from a focus on reliability to a more comprehensive analysis of economic benefits. In February, FERC adopted Order No. 890, reforming several...

NERC to modify VM standards.(SECTIONS: T&D)
March 1, 2007... Vegetation management standards adopted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation require transmission owners to have a documented vegetation management program in place, including a record of implementation. Professionals...

Jose Delgado.(Profile Light)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... Jose Delgado, president and CEO of American Transmission Co., is a busy man. He heads the company he worked to create seven years ago, the first multi-state, transmission-only utility in the U.S. With $1.8 billion in total assets, ATC operates...