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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July 28, 2010

Equilar, a compensation research firm, reported that in 2009 the median compensation of CEOs for the top 200 companies declined 13 percent from the previous year to $7.7 million. The decline was attributed to stock and option awards losing value because of the 2009 stock market plunge. Yet an SNL Financial study of utility CEO compensation in 2009 reveals that the top 25 utility CEOs saw their executive compensation increase by 39 percent to 123 percent and 49 of the top 50 showed rising packages.

The utility industry "may have had a bigger recovery over that time period when data was collected," explained Kevin Hollock, director of Cornell University's Institute for Compensation Studies. Since consumers rely on electricity and don't cut back significantly even in a recession, the energy industry is much "less cyclical than buying fancy shoes," he added. Yet Hollock was surprised by the rise in compensation for energy CEOs compared with other industries.

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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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.
________________________________________

June 21, 2010

They sound like something from outer space. Well, actually they are. Geomagnetic disturbances can destroy satellites and power grids.

Scientists have the tools to provide some notice when the geomagnetic storms are ready to hit Earth. But the utility industry thinks it can do a better job of preparing for solar weather. To do so, though, requires collaboration between public and private entities -- a process that establishes a risk management paradigm and a cost allocation technique. While the odds of those storms hitting are small, they could cost billions to fix.