Sep 13, 2010

The buzz right now is centered on all-electric cars and the latest hybrids. But down the road, the hope is that the hydrogen economy will arrive. Those fuel cell powered vehicles would have no pollution with the only emission being distilled water.

Right now the car companies in conjunction with the major oil conglomerates are working to make the hydrogen economy real. But it is difficult to store hydrogen, which is the chief obstacle when it commercializing the concept.

Sep 12, 2010

Recessions are tough on business. And they are also rough on stocks. But the utility sector has weathered the storm. It's not just because they are known as a good hedge during hard times. It's also because the fundamentals in many cases favor them.

Utilities have long been known for generating stable revenues and paying predictable dividends. It's a heritage that has paid off in the current economic environment. It's is because electricity is an essential commodity that must always be purchased. Regulated utilities, meantime, are able to pass through their reasonable expenses that include fuel adjustments while unregulated ones are positioned to take advantage of volatile fuel costs and the expected increase in future demand.

September 03, 2010

New York knows the spotlight. But the heat it's now feeling is tied directly to keeping the lights on. Transmission system operators there say that the state's citizens consumed more electricity in July than ever before.

New York is not alone. Other regions of the country are also getting tested. It's about how well they are able to meet the energy needs in their areas when the demand for their services is at its pinnacle. To do so, they are asking folks to conserve power or to give their utility providers the leeway to help out.

September 01, 2010

You can't miss it -- 213 solar panels and a battery the size of a tractor trailer sit alongside one of Duke Energy's electric substations on Charlotte, North Carolina's Highway 51.

And that is intentional, said Paige Layne, Duke Energy's corporate communications manager. "We found because the solar panels are out there on one of the busiest highways in Charlotte, people call in and ask us about them."

August 30, 2010

Duke Energy's chief executive doesn't mince words.

It was early May, under stormy skies, when Jim Rogers gave the opening keynote, "Smart Grid: The Catalyst to Transform the Energy Sector," at the Smart Grid Roadshow in Cincinnati. Later that morning, he followed up about his vision for the utility industry. One of his key messages: Keep educating the customer, and pay attention to the customer's wants and needs.

"As we design products for customers, it's important to listen to what the customer wants," Rogers said. "But it's also important to notice that the customer doesn't necessarily know what he wants yet."