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State regulators Tuesday will weigh whether to allow Florida Power & Light Co. to keep its employees' salaries secret. The Public Service Commission meeting in Tallahassee comes one week before regulators take up FPL's request for a $1.3 billion annual increase in base rates. Florida's five major utilities, including FPL, provided detailed salary information to the commission. But FPL and Progress Energy Florida, based in St. Petersburg, have asked to keep the information private for competitive reasons. A group of 15 employees from FPL - the state's largest utility with 4.5 million customers - hired an attorney this month and said they oppose disclosing salaries for privacy reasons. The First Amendment Foundation and the Office of Public Counsel - the state's advocate for utility customers - said state law requires utilities to make the information public.

State regulators Tuesday will weigh whether to allow Florida Power & Light Co. to keep its employees' salaries secret. The Public Service Commission meeting in Tallahassee comes one week before regulators take up FPL's request for a $1.3 billion annual increase in base rates. Florida's five major utilities, including FPL, provided detailed salary information to the commission. But FPL and Progress Energy Florida, based in St. Petersburg, have asked to keep the information private for competitive reasons. A group of 15 employees from FPL - the state's largest utility with 4.5 million customers - hired an attorney this month and said they oppose disclosing salaries for privacy reasons. The First Amendment Foundation and the Office of Public Counsel - the state's advocate for utility customers - said state law requires utilities to make the information public.

The German nuclear industry is expecting a revival for their power source, but not so fast, warns the new German government. The bosses of Germany's big utilities were rubbing their hands with glee when it surfaced that Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservatives would be re-elected in a team with the pro-business Free Democratic Party -- both groups had campaigned in favor of nuclear power, and they were set to scrap the planned phase-out of the controversial energy source. After the election, Juergen Grossmann, the head of utility RWE, urged the new government to swiftly extend the running times of the German reactors. But officials from both parties have warned utilities that nuclear won't be boosted at all costs. "If the utilities refuse our terms and conditions then the nuclear phase out will remain in place," Andreas Pinkwart, a senior FDP official, told German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The German nuclear industry is expecting a revival for their power source, but not so fast, warns the new German government. The bosses of Germany's big utilities were rubbing their hands with glee when it surfaced that Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservatives would be re-elected in a team with the pro-business Free Democratic Party -- both groups had campaigned in favor of nuclear power, and they were set to scrap the planned phase-out of the controversial energy source. After the election, Juergen Grossmann, the head of utility RWE, urged the new government to swiftly extend the running times of the German reactors. But officials from both parties have warned utilities that nuclear won't be boosted at all costs. "If the utilities refuse our terms and conditions then the nuclear phase out will remain in place," Andreas Pinkwart, a senior FDP official, told German news magazine Der Spiegel.

A small Arizona electric utility formally has expressed interest in a nuclear power plant proposed for Utah. General Manager Bryan Hill said a memorandum of understanding between his 8,000-customer utility and Blue Castle Holdings Inc. "basically says Page is interested in this project," a 3,000-megawatt plant proposed off of Interstate 70 near Green River. Hill noted that his utility has not committed any funds to become an equity owner. "At this point, it's exploratory." Page relies largely on hydropower from nearby Glen Canyon Dam and supplements that with government-purchased power on the spot market. Another 30 megawatts of base-load electricity will be needed in the next decade.

A small Arizona electric utility formally has expressed interest in a nuclear power plant proposed for Utah. General Manager Bryan Hill said a memorandum of understanding between his 8,000-customer utility and Blue Castle Holdings Inc. "basically says Page is interested in this project," a 3,000-megawatt plant proposed off of Interstate 70 near Green River. Hill noted that his utility has not committed any funds to become an equity owner. "At this point, it's exploratory." Page relies largely on hydropower from nearby Glen Canyon Dam and supplements that with government-purchased power on the spot market. Another 30 megawatts of base-load electricity will be needed in the next decade.

"The latest task of the state Senate Business and Commerce Committee provides a welcome opportunity for Texas to rein in rogue utilities like CPS Energy of San Antonio. Now charged with studying the costs of municipally owned utilities' generation plans and their impacts on residential and commercial customers, the Senate committee has the opportunity to protect Texans, especially low-income families, from the machinations of a utility bent on pleasing its industrial consumers at the cost of its most vulnerable customers. CPS Energy is pursuing a risky investment in a nuclear expansion project that, depending on the final cost of the project, would raise rates between 36 percent and 60 percent over the next 10 years. The municipally owned utility has failed to adequately involve the citizenry and city government in its generation planning process. CPS Energy's nuclear energy plan lacks any mechanism to protect consumers or low-income families, despite the fact that those customers would have to pick up the tab if the deal gets more expensive."

It's come to this: The simple truth withheld from the community by CPS Energy was revealed last week by NRG Energy executives to a Houston gathering of financial analysts: San Antonio can't afford the high price of expanding the South Texas Project nuclear facility. Not that we need another example, but once again Wall Street enjoys the advantage over Main Street. Ratepayers don't have a need to know, but let's not deny institutional investors a little inside information. The project will cost billions more than CPS estimated, even after interim General Manager Steve Bartley went to Japan to seek concessions. Utility executives want until January to bring a new number to Mayor Julián Castro and the City Council. Why wait? What CPS once promised was a good deal for the city is now, clearly, a bad deal. It's a bad deal made worse by utility executives who deliberately withheld critical financial data, thus misleading elected city leaders, the Express-News and the public. Even as we were told the project would cost CPS and NRG a total of $13 billion, utility executives knew Toshiba Inc. was estimating $4 billion more.

It's come to this: The simple truth withheld from the community by CPS Energy was revealed last week by NRG Energy executives to a Houston gathering of financial analysts: San Antonio can't afford the high price of expanding the South Texas Project nuclear facility. Not that we need another example, but once again Wall Street enjoys the advantage over Main Street. Ratepayers don't have a need to know, but let's not deny institutional investors a little inside information. The project will cost billions more than CPS estimated, even after interim General Manager Steve Bartley went to Japan to seek concessions. Utility executives want until January to bring a new number to Mayor Julián Castro and the City Council. Why wait? What CPS once promised was a good deal for the city is now, clearly, a bad deal. It's a bad deal made worse by utility executives who deliberately withheld critical financial data, thus misleading elected city leaders, the Express-News and the public. Even as we were told the project would cost CPS and NRG a total of $13 billion, utility executives knew Toshiba Inc. was estimating $4 billion more.

You know who's going to own those nuclear reactors that Georgia Power and other utilities want to build near Augusta? In a legal sense, the utilities would own them. But in a political sense, state Sen. Don Balfour would own a good piece of them too, at least if Senate Bill 31 becomes law. Written at the behest of Georgia Power, SB 31 would strip authority from the Public Service Commission, the body created to regulate utilities and make highly technical decisions about how to finance complex multibillion-dollar projects such as nuclear plants. Balfour, the sponsor of the bill, apparently believes that the interests of Georgia would be best served if such technical decisions are made by Waffle House executives, insurance salesmen, retired farmers and others serving in the state Legislature. Such people do have wisdom, of course. It just doesn't generally extend to the intricacies of utility regulation.

The sideshow at the Public Service Commission is overtaking the historic consideration of a rate increase for Florida Power & Light. Today, PSC chairman Matthew Carter took the unusual step of offering a press release proclaiming his independence from utility lobbyists. It seems unusual for a commissioner who is considering a rate increase from a utility to specifically note his votes against that utility in the past. Here is Carter's statement, (and see below for FPL comment): Assertions have been made that the Florida Public Service Commission is too "cozy" with regulated utilities, FPL in particular. To the extent that these criticisms are directed toward me, I take great offense because they are false. An examination of the record, not some special interest's characterizations, demonstrates my independence and freedom from external bias. In nearly every high-profile issue that FPL has brought before this Commission, I have voted to deny or severely limit the company's request.

"The Iowa Sierra Club reports that 330 Iowans have asked Gov. Chet Culver to veto a bill that would allow utilities to charge customers for a feasibility study on future nuclear plants in the state. Here's the full release: Des Moines - In response to the House and the Senate passing House File 2399, a bill that will allow utilities to charge their customers to pay for nuclear power feasibility, more than 330 Iowans wrote to Governor Chet Culver calling on him to veto the bill. MidAmerican Energy wants to charge its customers $15 million to examine the achievability of constructing a new nuclear power plant in Iowa. HF2399 provides changes in the law that governs the Iowa Utilities Board's rules for determining electricity rates, setting the stage for MidAmerican Energy - and other utilities - to pay for costs associated with studying and planning a new facility, including one that could transition away from coal before construction begins."

In the latest development of a longstanding contract dispute, a federal appeals court reversed and remanded a trio of cases concerning damages owed to nuclear utilities as a result of the government's failure to build a nuclear-waste facility. The appeals court said the damages awarded weren't calculated properly by the court of Federal Claims. As such it voided $42.8 million in damages awarded to PG&E Corp.'s Pacific Gas & Electric utility, $39.8 million to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and $142.8 million to three former New England nuclear-plant operators.

Entergy Corp. (ETR) remains committed to spinning off five of its nuclear power plants into a stand-alone company, but the company's chief executive suggested a possible alternative Tuesday if it can't win regulatory approval in New York. Entergy Chairman and Chief Executive J. Wayne Leonard said the company could spin off its utility businesses into a stand-alone company to accomplish the same goal of separating its regulated utility businesses concentrated in the Southeast from its nuclear plants that sell power at market prices. "We don't expect to go down that route, but it is a path to get you back to where you were. It just takes us longer and (requires) more regulatory approvals," said Leonard, speaking at the Edison Electric Institute's financial conference in Florida. The New Orleans-based power company has been looking to create the nation's first stand-alone nuclear power company for two years. The deal was first stymied by the global credit freeze as Entergy needs to access billions of dollars in new debt to create the company, to be called Enexus Energy Corp. Now it's awaiting a decision from New York, where the spinoff has faced a push-back from consumer advocates and elected officials.

Entergy Corp. (ETR) remains committed to spinning off five of its nuclear power plants into a stand-alone company, but the company's chief executive suggested a possible alternative Tuesday if it can't win regulatory approval in New York. Entergy Chairman and Chief Executive J. Wayne Leonard said the company could spin off its utility businesses into a stand-alone company to accomplish the same goal of separating its regulated utility businesses concentrated in the Southeast from its nuclear plants that sell power at market prices. "We don't expect to go down that route, but it is a path to get you back to where you were. It just takes us longer and (requires) more regulatory approvals," said Leonard, speaking at the Edison Electric Institute's financial conference in Florida. The New Orleans-based power company has been looking to create the nation's first stand-alone nuclear power company for two years. The deal was first stymied by the global credit freeze as Entergy needs to access billions of dollars in new debt to create the company, to be called Enexus Energy Corp. Now it's awaiting a decision from New York, where the spinoff has faced a push-back from consumer advocates and elected officials.

"Exelon will get incentives from the American Power Act and the bill will increase the company's earnings in five years, if it passes. John Rowe, chief executive officer of nuclear firm Exelon, saw the writing on the wall about government penalties and rewards for producers of greenhouse gases. Rowe considers himself the "senior chief executive in the utility industry" having served in those positions since 1984. He presided over Exelon's formation from the merger of Chicago utility Unicom and Philadelphia utility Peco. During his time at Unicom predecessor Commonwealth Edison, Rowe changed the course of the company's future to focus on nuclear power instead of dirtier coal and oil-fired plants."

Part 1 presented a new study that puts the generation costs for power from new nuclear plants at from 25 to 30 cents per kilowatt-hour - triple current U.S. electricity rates! Nuclear plants with such incredibly expensive electricity and "out of control" capital costs, as Time put it, obviously create large risks for utilities, their investors, and, ultimately taxpayers. Congress extended huge loan guarantees to new nukes in 2005, and the American people will be stuck with another huge bill if those plants join the growing rank of troubled assets (see "Nuclear energy revival may cost $315 billion, with taxpayers' risking over $100B"). The risk to utilities who start down the new nuke path is also great. A June 2008 report by Moody's Investor Services Global Credit Research, "New Nuclear Generating Capacity: Potential Credit Implications for U.S. Investor Owned Utilities" (PR here), warned that "nuclear plant construction poses risks to credit metrics, ratings," concluding:

Nuclear power generator operators would go straight to the US Department of Energy to seek damages instead of to the courts if the agency does not remove all of the spent fuel from future reactor sites within 10 years after the unit closes, DOE waste program director Edward Sproat said Monday. Sproat told reporters following a nuclear waste symposium in Washington that under a proposed DOE spent fuel disposal contract for new reactors, a utility would receive $5 million a year until all of the spent fuel has been removed from the site. Total damages paid to a utility, Sproat said, would be limited to the total amount the utility has paid into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund for the disposal of spent fuel generated by that unit.

On Monday, state utility regulators begin a three-month process of deciding whether to allow Georgia Power to build more nuclear reactors. The Georgia Public Service Commission has set all of Monday aside to hear from public proponents and opponents of the planned nuclear expansion. Georgia Power wants to build two additional reactors at its Vogtle nuclear plant in Waynesboro. The utility estimates its portion of the cost at more than $6 billion for its 45.7 percent ownership share of the project. Municipal utilities and the state's electric membership cooperatives will own the rest.

The development of nuclear reactors on the Hanford Reservation in Central Washington during World War II encouraged electric utility planners to pursue the construction of nuclear reactors to satisfy rapidly escalating demands for electricity from both residential and industrial customers in the 1960s and 1970s. Public utility districts and municipal utilities throughout Washington joined in a cooperative named the Washington Public Power Supply System to finance the construction of three nuclear reactors to produce electricity for consumers throughout Washington State. Some historical questions: What impact has WPPSS had the electric power supply of the Pacific Northwest? The construction of WPPSS nuclear reactors was financed by the sale of bonds. What kind of return did WPPSS bond holders get on their investment?. Why wasn't system completed? What characteristics of nuclear energy caused trouble for the system? How were the increasing electricity needs of the State met without WPPSS's nuclear power plants? Be sure to consider other possibilities for historical questions as you analyze and interpret this topic.

Contrary to earlier projections, Peco customers can expect rate hikes of 19 to 20 percent when artificial price caps on utilities expire over the next few years, a company official revealed Wednesday. Until now, Peco held the somewhat envious position among Pennsylvania utilities as the only provider expected to raise electricity rates by single digits come January 2011. Those figures were according to estimates released by the state's utility consumer advocate in May. Other companies such as Allegheny Power and PPL are expected to hike rates by 63 percent and 37 percent - respectively - when the Pennsylvania price caps expire.

Duke Energy customers in South Carolina could be on the hook for up to $64.4 million in development costs for two nuclear reactors the Charlotte utility is considering building in Cherokee County. The S.C. Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow Duke Energy to spend up to $230 million from 2005 through 2009 studying, designing and preparing the site for the project. The utility would still have to show actual expenses were prudent in order for the PSC to allow the utility to pass along the costs to ratepayers.

TOPEKA | Legislation allowing utilities to recover the cost of planning for a nuclear generating facility from ratepayers has been sent to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The House approved it 101-22 and the Senate endorsed it a few minutes later 29-3. Supporters say the bill is needed if utilities are going to seriously consider nuclear power. Opponents said it will mean higher bills for utility customers.

Steam-cleaning technology created by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was used to clean a Superfund site in Visalia, in California's Central Valley - and the job was finished a century earlier than first expected. Utility company Southern California Edison used the site to soak wooden utility poles in creosote and other protective chemicals for some 80 years. Those chemicals contaminated the soil and underground water in the area. By the 1970s, the chemicals had seeped down as much as 100 feet in places. The site, called the Visalia Pole Yard, was one of the first Superfund sites, part of a federal government cleanup program for very toxic places. Superfund sites are on the National Priorities List of the Environmental Protection Agency because they may seriously threaten public health.

Steam-cleaning technology created by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was used to clean a Superfund site in Visalia, in California's Central Valley - and the job was finished a century earlier than first expected. Utility company Southern California Edison used the site to soak wooden utility poles in creosote and other protective chemicals for some 80 years. Those chemicals contaminated the soil and underground water in the area. By the 1970s, the chemicals had seeped down as much as 100 feet in places. The site, called the Visalia Pole Yard, was one of the first Superfund sites, part of a federal government cleanup program for very toxic places. Superfund sites are on the National Priorities List of the Environmental Protection Agency because they may seriously threaten public health.

As the nuclear industry prepares to ramp up construction nationwide, Indiana legislators considered Tuesday whether to allow utilities to recoup some project costs from customers years before a reactor is in operation. House and Senate members heard testimony about an incentive known as "construction work in progress," whereby utilities can charge ratepayers for interest costs on the overall project from the beginning. When a plant is up and running, the utility can start recovering the actual construction costs though the existing regulatory structure.