August 09, 2010

When PPL won the auction to acquire E.ON's Kentucky utilities in April, the stock plunged nearly 10 percent and left many investors scratching their heads. In fact, the stock started its steep downward spiral a few days before the actual sale when the Allentown, Pa.-based company was named by E.ON as one of three potential buyers for the assets.

PPL trumpeted that it would increase its geographical diversification and expand its capital structure, but analysts noted that by adding more regulated electricity to its portfolio, PPL was only further reducing its leverage to profit from any upswing in the economy.

August 06, 2010

The transformation may now be gradual. But it will gather steam and change the way utilities produce and deliver their electricity.

If done properly, the smart grid that enables such progress could have profound implications. The movement is just now getting its legs. But just how it stabilizes and gains footing is a matter of debate: Some say it will be consumer demand. Others say that regulators must lead while some say it must be a collective effort.

Below are a few letters received at EnergyBiz Insider on topics that appeared in the past few weeks. They capture the essence of how many readers say they feel.
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August 04, 2010

The pursuit of carbon capture and sequestration technologies is a national priority. As such, the U.S. Department of Energy will award $67 million over three years to those projects that are developing the relevant tools.

While the Obama administration is best known for its stimulus funds aimed at producing more green technologies, it has also begun emphasizing carbon capture and sequestration. The White House has set a goal of bringing 5 to 10 demonstration projects on line by 2016 -- an endeavor that would focus for now on coal, which provides half of the nation's electric generation mix.

August 02, 2010

Utilities are busily crafting plans to add some smarts to their grids, which will enable them to monitor usage information in real time. For these new capabilities to take shape, they will need networks capable of moving information from their data centers to customer sites.

Wireless communications are appealing because they are easier to deploy and less expensive than wired connections. Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless options could fill this void, but recently WiMAX has emerged as the most likely selection.