Electric Light & Power articles from May 2002

Electric Light & Power archives from May 2002

Global warning. (Commentary).(anti-globalization)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... During the recent anti-globalization protests in Washington, D.C., I caught several glimpses of protestors carrying signs with prominent, easily identifiable Nike swoosh and Starbucks trademarks. Although I saw different national TV networks'...

Exelon says no new plans for Zion. (Companies).(Illinois)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Exelon Nuclear has stated that it does not plan to restart its 2,080 MW Zion nuclear power plant in Illinois, which was shut down in 1998 after a history of troubled operations. The company issued their statement after nearly a year of...

Florida Power agrees on rate reduction. (Companies).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Florida Power and Jack Shreve, Florida's Public Counsel, have agreed to reduce base rates $125 million per year, resulting in a nine percent overall reduction for customers. Over the term of the agreement, which runs through year-end 2005,...

AEP to rumble in the jungle. (Companies).(American Electric Power)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... American Electric Power (AEP) will lead a group of 12 students and teachers from Ohio and West Virginia to a South American rainforest this summer for AEP's Environmental Learning and Adventure in Bolivia (E-LAB) program. Managers of five AEP...

Nevada says "No nukes, Prez". (Deregulation).(Governor Guinn vetoes use of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn has given his veto of the President approved Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, starting the clock on a 90-day window for the federal government to either bow to Guinn's wishes or override him.

Calif. kills direct access. (Deregulation).(California Public Utilities Commission ends right to choose power provider)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted three to two to end, retroactive to Sept. 20, the right to choose a power provider, effectively closing the door on "direct access." However, there is a debate raging about power contracts...

FirstEnergy asks for review. (Legal & Regulatory).(for deferral of costs for Metropolitan Edison and Pennsylvania Electric)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... FirstEnergy Corp. has filed a petition asking the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to review a Commonwealth Court decision denying two of FirstEnergy's electric utility operating companies (Metropolitan Edison and Pennsylvania Electric) the...

Renewable minimum passes Senate. (Legal & Regulatory).(renewable energy standard)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A minimum renewable energy standard offered by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) was passed in the Senate by voice vote this spring, which could mean support for the biomass industry, stated the American Bioenergy Assn. (The renewable portfolio...

Enron, Astros agree to clip contract. (Legal & Regulatory).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Enron Corp. has reached an agreement on the terms of a settlement regarding the naming rights contact between the company and the Houston Astros Baseball Club. Under the terms of the settlement, the Astros have agreed to pay the estate the sum...

Triple Point chooses right road. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(acquires Energy Crossroads)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Triple Point Technology has acquired Energy Crossroads, an application service provider in Irvine, Calif. (Terms of the deal were not disclosed.) Founded in 2000, Energy Crossroads client base includes Anaheim Public Utilities, Grant County...

RJM awarded pollution control project. (Projects & Contracts).(by Austin Energy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... RJM Corp., a provider of emission control technologies, announced a contract for multiple [NO.sub.x] emission control technologies from Austin Energy, which will be applied across all six of Austin Energy's gas-fired boilers. RJM will provide...

B&V to build Pa. plant. (Projects & Contracts).(Black & Veatch and Barton Malow)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Black & Veatch (B&V) has joined Barton Malow in a joint venture agreement to provide design, procurement, delivery, construction, startup, testing and initial operation of the Reliant Energy Hunterstown LLC power project. The plant features a...

Mirant opens Fla. plant. (Projects & Contracts).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Mirant has begun commercial operation of a natural gas-fired power plant in Pasco County, Fla. The simple cycle plant north of Tampa has 474 MW of net dependable capacity. Mirant bought the unfinished plant from EI Paso Corp. in October 2001.

AmerenEnergy in tight with Soyland. (Projects & Contracts).(AmerenEnergy Marketing contract with Soyland Power Cooperative Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... AmerenEnergy Marketing, a wholesale and retail energy marketing company based in St. Louis, has contracted with Soyland Power Cooperative Inc. to manage its existing generation resources and load requirements over a six-year period, beginning...

Trans-Elect to join RTO. (Transmission).(Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Trans-Elect Inc., the Washington, D.C.-based independent electric transmission company, announced its intention to join the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. (MISO), pending the completion of its acquisition of the Michigan...

Agency quits plans to upgrade lines. (Transmission).(Transmission Agency of Northern California)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Transmission Agency of Northern California, a coalition of 15 municipal utilities, has decided to no longer fund a $300 million upgrade to Path 15. The project will continue without the coalition, financed by PG&E (which owns the line) and...

Potential RTO seeks FERC approval. (Transmission).(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A coalition of western electric utilities has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to find that the RTO West proposal meets minimum characteristics and functions for formation of a regional transmission organization. Avista...

Former military men reveal loopholes in utility security. (News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... If you ask them directly, they'll tell you the truth: Utilities are not secure. It's a statement that the post-September-11th power company doesn't really want to hear, but according to Don Buzzelli and Will Gunther--two former military...

Alliance for Retail Choice becomes necessary step for members. (News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Five retail marketers of electricity and natural gas have recently joined together to form the Alliance for Retail Choice. The companies, Green Mountain Energy, Strategic Energy, Smart Energy, The New Power Company, and AES New Energy share a...

Is America's energy policy ready for the future? (Executive Insights).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... How America will go about meeting its energy needs has been a focal point of discussion for quite some time. Energy companies, environmental groups, business leaders, politicians and the public at large all have an opinion as to what the nation...

The power sector's 1Q review: life after Enron. (Finance).(first-quarter returns, year 2002)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Despite signs that the U.S. economy continues to recover from a recession that began in March of last year, corporate earnings and stock prices remain lackluster. What holds true for the market in general is representative of returns among...

Power plant construction moves ahead despite pull backs. (Finance Briefs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Energy Ventures Analysis Inc. reported that at the end of the first quarter of 2002, a total of 263,000 MW of new gas-fired capacity is under construction or active development. About 11,000 MW began operation during the quarter. Over the 1998...

First quarter utility rating trends continue downward. (Finance Briefs).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Standard & Poor's reported that while the trend in credit quality for the U.S. utility industry remains negative, the number of actual ratings actions diminished somewhat in the first quarter of 2002, as S&P revised the ratings of 19 companies...

FPL wins auction for Seabrook Nuclear Plant. (Finance Briefs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... The gavel came down, and FPL Group was the winning bidder for the New Hampshire plant. FPL is buying an 88.2 percent interest in Seabrook for $836.6M. This includes $749.1M for the 1,161 MW Unit 1 (main operating unit), $61.9M for nuclear fuel,...

AEP seeks acquisitions. (Finance Briefs).(American Electric Power )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... American Electric Power has earmarked $1B for acquisitions in an effort to boost long-term earnings growth to 6 to 8 percent. Assets of interest include midstream gas gathering operation as well as power plants outside of the Midwest and Texas,...

CDC leads acquisition of Entergy's Latin American Portfolio. (Finance Briefs).(CDC Capital Partners)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... CDC Capital Partners, in its biggest ever investment, led the acquisition of Entergy Corp.'s stakes in three investor-owned power businesses in Latin America (Edegel S.A. in Peru, San Isidro IPP in Chile, and the Costanera/CBA generation...

U.S. Senate to consider $14B in energy tax breaks. (Finance Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Senate agreed to consider a $14B package of tax breaks. Renewable fuels such as wind, biomass and solar would receive a total of $2.3B in tax credits while more energy efficient appliances and buildings would get $2.2B in benefits....

EEI calls for tax law changes. (Finance).(Edison Electric Institute seeks repeal of Public Utility Holding Company Act)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Thomas R. Kuhn called on Congress to change tax laws to promote investment in power generation and transmission. He asked Congress to remove tax impediments to investment in electricity...

Roaring '20s trumpets a new industry and a new magazine.(Electric Light and Power)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... It was the age of flappers and Bessie Smith and the Hot Jazz Five; it was an age that would later become known as the "Roaring '20s". It saw the birth of major industries, like the motion picture studio system and America's interconnected...

Our partly metric bow.(Poem)
May 1, 2002... Our partly metric bow >>> C.L. FUNNELL If you're a man who looks upon The watts as they're created As things to serve in countless ways; As merchandise related To commerce, progress, joy and health-- Read on for half an...

EL&P weathers the Great Depression. (80 Years).(Electric Light and Power magazine)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... There were learn years for EL&P in the 1930s. For a magazine that averaged a hundred pages or more in the 1920s, it saw a significant cutback around 1933. However, before the cutbacks hit hard, EL&P started out the decade with some...

Thomas Alva Edison: 1847-1931. (80 Years).
May 1, 2002... The world is poorer today and bowed with grief at the loss of a man it had learned to respect, revere and love. Thomas Alva Edison, the man, is gone. But his spirit shines out and will always shine out, from every lamp throughout the length and...

EL&P remembers WWII. (80 Years).(Electric Light and Power)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The '40s were overshadowed by one major historical event: the second world war. EL&P in the 1940s was, understandably, no exception to that shadow. While the decade started but with a "prophecy" about the New Deal leading to economic...

EL&P talks about power, history with EPRI's shining Starr.(discussion with Chauncey Starr, Electric Power Research Institute)(Interview)
May 1, 2002... Dr. Chauncey Starr was the founding President, and later Vice Chairman of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). After serving more than a decade, he was appointed President Emeritus, the position he still holds. He recently celebrated...

1950: the turning point in light and power. (80 Years).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... At the half-century turning point, the pattern through which equipment designers, system engineers and operators hope to keep the electric power industry ahead of the ever-increasing demand for its services (and at the same time in the sound...

EL&P tunes in, turns on and doesn't drop out.(Electric Light and Power magazine management strategy during the 1960's)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The 1960s was a turbulent decade famous for hippies, mod colors, the Beatles and restless political agendas most poignantly symbolized in Timothy Leary's famous slogan "Tune in, turn on and drop out." Electric Light & Power magazine did no...

Energy crisis looms large in the 1970s. (80 Years).
May 1, 2002... With the very first issue of 1970, EL&P was already examining one of the two major stories of the decade. Since Watergate was yet to come, Ken Owens, then Generation Editor, discussed the possible fuel crisis on the horizon. "Double...

The 1980s bring EL&P to PennWell. (80 Years).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Electric Light & Power began the "me decade" with a scathing editorial by then editor Robert Lincicome. As with the 1970s, the industry--and the nation--was particularly concerned with the fuel crisis. "It has been six aggravating years...

EL&P in 1990: 2000 is closer than you think. (80 Years).
May 1, 2002... It's begun. The decade of the '90s. The last 10 years before the new century dawns. So it's a good time to pause, to look ahead, and back... to see where we've come from and where the industry is going. The electric industry today is at a...

CEOs share perspectives on state of the industry. (Industry Report).
May 1, 2002... There's no better source for an up-to-the-minute status report on an industry than from the drivers of that industry--CEOs. EL&P shares its exclusive interviews with the leaders of three companies: Dominion, CMS Energy and Southern Co. The...

Liquidity--the elixir of e-market conquerors. (Electric & Gas Trading).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... As the pitiable caterwaul of "e-mania" fades, many energy e-market makers, vendors and digital marketplaces have been singing to the tunes of: "What if I threw an auction and nobody came?" and "It's my e-marketplace and I'll cry if I want to."...

Online trading flexes muscle; proclaims staying power. (Electric & Gas Trading).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Since Dec. 1, 2001, the energy business is no longer the same. That's when Enron declared bankruptcy, and energy companies and financial institutions alike found they were exposed for hundreds of millions of dollars. The rapid decline of Enron...

Utilities and critical infrastructure: the telecom "survivors". (Information Technology).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... As the wreckage of the telecom industry continues to wash up on anxious shores, there is an effective telecom strategy that has emerged with the potential to push and pull the next generation of large-scale industry players in a rebounding...

Entergy completes software upgrade. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Drawing Management Inc. has completed its roll out of Entrada Software's eChange Solutions software at Entergy's Indian Point 2 (IP2) nuclear facility located at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, N.Y. Drawing Management was selected...

ALSTOM develops software for RTOs. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ALSTOM has developed e-terracommit, a software to solve large resource commitment problems associated with large-scale regional transmission organizations (RTOs). The e-terracommit product, developed by the energy management and markets...

Elcom International to refocus. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Elcom international Inc. announced that subsequent to its sale of its IT products business in the U.S., it expects to be able to substantially reduce its costs and cash expenditures going forward as it repositions itself as a "pure play"...

XceI selects Siemens. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, a unit of Siemens AG and Siemens Corp., announced that its Energy Management & Information Systems Division was awarded a contract from Xcel Energy to provide a new Spectrum SINAUT Energy Management...

Questerra launches service. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Questerra, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mead-Westvaco Corp., unveiled its new Web-based spatial information management technology and service. Questerra's service combines enterprise data, available external information and spatial reference...

Henwood launches site. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Henwood, which offers power generators, marketers and retailers software, advisory services and on-line data applications, has launched "Henwood Online," a Web portal for clients to access support, product news, training and downloadable files....

Apogee Interactive selected for services. (IT Briefs).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Apogee Interactive Inc., an Internet content and technology solutions provider to the energy industry, announced that Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (GEMC) and Georgia's new Green Power EMO have selected Apogee as their Web site host and...

CRM: throwing out the hype, concentrating on the basics. (Customer Systems).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Customer relationship management (CRM) is an interesting combination of real technology, promising business solutions, and absurd expectations. Sound harsh? When the Gartner Group estimates that over 80 percent of CRM implementations fail to...

Nationwide survey documents disenchantment with deregulation. (Customer Systems).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... U.S. businesses, already buffeted by soft economic conditions, the aftereffects of September 11 and the Enron fallout, no longer welcome electricity deregulation, according to a new independent national survey. A majority of key...

AEGIS: more Alliance solutions. (Advertisement).(Advertisement)
May 1, 2002... A Dynamic Industry In today's increasingly non-regulated energy industry, utilities require additional admitted insurance coverages. The AEGIS/Liberty Alliance responds to Members' evolving needs, providing a widening array of products....

Revisiting mechanical inlet cooling. (Technology).(gas turbines, inlet air cooling, mechanical chillers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... It seems odd that the power business--one that is behaving more like a commodity business as ever-maturing trading markets for both power and gas continue to evolve--is not more obsessed with maximizing the value of power plant assets by...

Metallic Power teams with Nextel. (Tech Briefs).(for use of fuel cells for backup power)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Metallic Power, a developer of zero-emission, regenerative zinc/air fuel cells, has signed a memo of understanding with NEXTEL Communications. The two will conduct tests to evaluate the use of Metallic Power's fuel cells as a back-up power...

Powerspan gets control results. (Tech Briefs).(using electro-catalytic oxidation technology)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Powerspan Corp. announced initial test results from the upgraded one MW pilot unit demonstrating its electro-catalytic oxidation (ECO) technology, a multi-pollutant control system for coal-fired plants. The pilot test unit, located at...

DOE adds more projects, develops hybrid. (Tech Briefs).(Department of Energy, approaches to reduce threat of global climate change)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... As part of its efforts to develop "break-through" approaches for reducing the threat of global climate change, the Department of Energy (DOE) has added three new projects to develop ways to capture carbon dioxide released from power plants and...

CCPC to look at clean coal. (Tech Briefs).(Canadian Clean Power Coalition)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Canadian Clean Power Coalition (CCPC), a group of Canadian coal and coal-fired electricity producers, will research, develop, construct and operate a full-scale demonstration plant by 2007 to test the viability of new clean coal technology...

Flyash joins the war effort. (Tech Briefs).(used by U.S. Army in Afghanistan for runway and concrete structure repair)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Flyash from Great River Energy's Coal Creek Station near Underwood, N.D., is being used by U.S. Army combat engineers for quick repairs on airport runways and various concrete structures in Kandahar, Afghanistan, according to ISG Resources...

Siemens introduces racking system. (Tech Briefs).(Siemens Energy and Automation Inc., SARRACS safely remote breaker racking system)(Product Announcement)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Siemens Energy & Automation has introduced SARRACS safely remote breaker racking system that could save operator lives and avoid injury during breaker change out, according to the company. The SARRACS system is designed to allow operators to...

EPRI develops reduction process. (Tech Briefs).(Electric Power Research Institute, Rich Reagent Injection)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A new [NO.sub.x] reduction process developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) provides coal-fired generating units with a cost-effective means of complying with [NO.sub.x] regulations, according to the Institute. The process,...

IEEE begins standards. (Tech Briefs).(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEESA) Standards Board has approved the start of work on three new fiber optic standards (IEEE P1591.2, IEEE P1591.3, IEEE P1594) for all dielectric, self-supporting...

Transformer oil to be tested. (Tech Briefs).(TVA, Nashville Electric Service to test soybean-based oil)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... TVA and the Nashville Electric Service will conduct a two-year test of electric transformers containing a new soybean-based oil, called Bio Trans, that is environmentally friendly. NES, the second largest distributor of TVA power, has installed...

Pall Corp. completes acquisition. (Tech Briefs).(Filterite acquired from USFilter Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... PALL CORP. announced that it has completed the acquisition of Filterite, headquartered in Timonium, Md., and other divisions of the Filtration and Separations Group (FSG) from USFilter Corp., a subsidiary of Vivendi Environment. The other...

New technology could boost geothermal plant production. (Tech Briefs).(University of Utah, Caithness Energy L.L.C. receive Department of Energy grant)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced the selection of two firms under a cooperative agreement to develop and demonstrate an enhanced geothermal system in California. DOE will provide $4.5 million over the next five years to support the...

American Superconductor begins production test run. (Tech Briefs).(high temperature superconductor wires)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... American Superconductor Corp. announced it has released high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires for initial production at its new manufacturing facility in Devens, Mass. The HTS wires will be fully processed under actual production...

Avista, Aperion announce fuel cell agreement. (Tech Briefs).(Avista Labs, Aperion Energy Systems)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Avista Labs and Aperion Energy Systems announced a joint agreement to develop and market small-scale back-up power solutions using Avista Labs' modular cartridge technology proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Aperion will integrate Avista...

Three major time killers and what to do about them. (Management Methods).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... We all waste time. What many of us fail to recognize is how we do it. Since you can't correct a fault without first identifying it, here are three frequent time killers, with suggestions for dealing with them. * Procrastination. To...

Primer on gas turbine technology. (Power Pointers).(questions, answers)
May 1, 2002... Offering such benefits as high efficiency, environmental compliance and operating flexibility, gas turbine combined-cycle technology is an extremely popular power generation option. In the past decade, gas turbine orders for combined-cycle...

Sempra buys an Enron business. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(Sempra Energy Trading acquires Henry Bath Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Sempra Energy Trading, the wholesale commodity trading subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has acquired the Liverpool, England-based Henry Bath Limited and subsidiaries, which provide warehousing services for non-ferrous metals in Europe and Asia. The...