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MEET BOB ROSE.Rose, of the Breakthrough Technology Institute, says that Korea intends to see 2 million fuel cells in residential homes by 2030. And the fuel cell business could generate 3 million jobs in the next two decades.Meet Gia Schneider.Schneider, the chief executive of Natel Energy, says that 70,000 megawatts of low-head, low-hanging hydroelectric power potential is ready to be captured...
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UTILITY CEO PAY TRENDS
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...
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THE EMERGING ROLE OF NGOS IN RENEWABLES
INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL organizations have had an increasing role in the global scale-up of renewable energy since November 1997 when the European Commission published “Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of Energy” by Wolfgang Palz. Soon thereafter, Eurosolar, the NGO of German Bundestag member Hermann Scheer, called a series of conferences. Scheer conceived the idea for an...
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THE GLOBAL VISION OF AES
IN YEARS PAST, A NUMBER OF UTILITIES TRIED their hands at making money in foreign countries, only to retreat to their home ground when the going got tough. That is, all of them except Arlington, Va.-based AES. Although AES got its start in the early 1980s as a builder and operator of independent power plants in such out-of-the-way places as Beaver Valley, Pa., and Deepwater, Texas, today it owns...
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Seeking the Right Economics and Politics
WITH POTENTIAL CO2 MANDATES OR FINANCIAL PRESSURES to curb the use of coal and the expected need to generate more electricity in the next 20 to 30 years to meet growing demand, nuclear is gaining favor and getting new attention.Specifically, many believe nuclear can and will play a larger role providing more than the current 20 percent of total electric generation it now delivers.To do this, two...
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LOOKING TO SMALL REACTORS
THE RENAISSANCE OF INTEREST IN NUCLEAR GENERATORS may seem counterintuitive given the problems that stymied new plant development 30 years ago. But to borrow words from Mark Twain, reports of nuclear power's death were greatly exaggerated.Most EnergyBiz readers know the story. Energy surpluses coupled with massive cost overruns leading to plant cancellations, public concerns following Three Mile...
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PATIENT INVESTORS SPUR TECHNOLOGY
TODAY, THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 NATIONS EVALUATING the introduction of nuclear energy programs where they have not existed in the past. With energy needs projected to double by 2030, the market for nuclear energy will continue to grow. The question is not whether we will need more power, but where will we get it and how much will it cost us?Worldwide interest in reducing carbon emissions while...
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COMPONENT MANUFACTURING UNDER WAY
AS ONE OF THE 30 AMERICANS WORKING IN SOUTHERN France for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, I can say that this is an extremely interesting and challenging time. ITER aims to provide the world with a feasible energy option for the future by demonstrating that it is possible to produce commercial energy from fusion.Since ITER was started in 2006, staff levels in France...
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Building a Better Independent Power Producer
AS THE RECESSION IS COMING TO AN APPARENT END, THE utility industry is beginning to realign. Although a number of deals are transpiring, they are less indicative of a broader trend and more about companies building their competitive future positions.Energy demand will continue to lag its pre-recession levels. So, many companies are faced with the choice of hanging on to assets that are not fully...
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Rethinking Utility M&A
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...
