06 Electric power generation and utilisation (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)

95102754 Electrical power industry restructuring in Latin America: Towards a new mode of organization7 De Oiiveira, A. and Queiroz Pinto, E. H. Revue de I’Energie, Jan.-Feb. 1995, (465), 23-31. (In French) At the beginning of the 1990s the restructing of the industrial organization and the regulatory regimes are institutional phenomenon in

robably the most important economic and e ectncrty supply industries Latin America P ”

countries. The paper analyses the main characteristics of the restructuring in Chile and Brazil. Two major problems are driving these changes: the financial constraints and economic inefficiences. Despite institutional bar- riers to privatization initiatives! the participation of new private companies in electricity supply, specially m the generation side, is becoming the com- mon aspect of restructuring. This solution requires new regulatory options and new coordination mechanisms. In this context, the electricity compa- nies may promote innovative strategies and adapt their long-term decisions.

95/02755 Electricity as energy for rural development Nziramasanga, N. P. World Energy Council J., Jan. 1995, 19-24. Discusses energy supplies for rural communities in developing countries.

95102756 Electricity prices - A discussion of discounting methods Horlock, J. H. Energy, Apr. 1995, 20, (4), 273-278. A method of pricing electricity (allowing for operating costs, capital costs and taxes) is developed in which debt repayments are discounted at a separate rate from the returns on equity capital. There results but small numerical differences from a method developed by Williams [Ann Rev. Energy 3, 313 (1978)] using a weighted overall discount rate.

95102757 Electrification the South African experience and challenge Engelbrecht, J. World Energy Council J., Jan. 1995, 9-18. Discusses electricity supply and distribution in South Africa.

95102756 An energy based approach to undervoltage load sheddlng Nanda, A. and Crow, M. L. Electric Power Systems Res., Jan. 1995, 32, (1) 11-18. A novel effort to apply Lyapunov’s energy methods towards developing an energy based load shedding scheme in order to alleviate voltage instability is presented. An ‘absolute’ energy function is derived which eliminates the need to calculate the unstable equilibrium

%h oints (UEPs) and thus saves a

considerable amount of computation time. e localized and zonal nature of early voltage instability symptoms is studied and exploited. The func- tions are then used to generate three-dimensional (3-D) security region plots. Based on the proximity of the system state to the stability boundaries (that can be mapped on the 3-D plots), loading shedding decisions can be carried out. The sensitivity of the derived energy measure with respect to the real and reactive loads is also calculated.

95102759 Focus on finance. What a difference a year makes1 Byus, L. C. Nuclear News, Feb. 1995, 38, (2), 22-U. Discusses the economics of electric utilities in the United States.

95102760 The future of electric utility mergers in the USA Welch, J. B. and Platt, M. B. Utilities Policy, Oct. 1994, 4, (4), 253-260. Mergers played a significant role in the structural development of the elec- tricity utility industry in the USA between 1880 and 1932. Abuses that occurred during that period have caused regulators to take a cautious and sceptical view of proposed mergers ever since. Based on a study of several mergers that have taken place between 1985 and 1992, this paper suggests significant potential for mergers to im rove performance in the electric utility industry. 0

.P erating and financta synergies can occur without the .P

historical abuses I regulators now allow and encourage consolidations.

95102761 identification and decentralized control of critical modes in electric power systems

TR. 103900, Final Report RP4000-41, $S,OOO.OO, EPRI Distribution Center, 207 Coggins Dr., PO Box 23205, Pleasant Hill, CA.94523.

95102762 institutional reforms in African electricity: Gains and qualms Girod, J. Revue de I’Energie, Jan.-Feb. 1995, (465), 40-50. (In French) The restoring of technical, economic and financial performance of electric utilities aroused institutional reforms in a number of African countries. The various types of reforms adopted (management delegation, operations con- tracting, self-production, etc.) should react as soon as possible upon the serious problems these utilities encountered for several years. However, in the longer term, these reforms will have to be completed in order to set up new forms of sectorial regulation which could ensure the future expansion of the power sector.

95102762 Sep

interview with Niek Ketting, General Manager of

Thorborg, L. Gas (Netherlands), Mar. 1995, 115, (3), 14-17. (In Flemish)

Sep, EnergieNed and ‘Overlegorgaan Produktiesector’ (OPS) have agreed to prevent the threatening overcapacity in the field of energy generation. As of 1 January 1995, each energy utility entered into a contract for the offtake of a certain part of the existing generating capacity. If demand increases, the energy utility itself decides how the additional electricity will be. purchased; either from the public supply system or from private genera- tors of electricity. In an interview with freelance journalist Lia Thorborg, Ketting points out that the agreement brings about clear-cut relations and responsibilities. Ketting is proud of the Dutch electricity generation sector: ‘We can pride ourselves on having the lowest tariffs in Europe, the highest environmental performance and the most reliable electricity supply’.

95102764 Monopolistic or competltlve organization of indus- trial electric power production

Varoquaux, W. Revue de I’Energie, Oct. 1994, (462), 489-494. (In French)

The considerable importance of the ‘transaction costs’ i.e. those. stemming essentially from the dissemination of information and ‘uncertainty manage- ment’ among the various operators, is evident in the actual operational situation of any industrial sector. These costs vary greatly depending on how the sector is organized. That is, the visible hand of the manager may actually be more efficient than the invisible hand of the market. This is why improving the operation of an industrial sector like electric power production does not necessarily require opening it up to competition. To take an example, organizing the electrical market around the short term essentially by pooling, as in the British Energy Supply Industry. Compares this system with the French-style of costing for power production.

95102765 New Electricity Act brings in private sector

Queensland Power, Queensland Government Mining J., Feb. 1995, 96, 4-5.

Reports that a new Queensland Electricity Act came into effect in January, enabling private enterprise to compete, particularly in the generating sec- tor, with newly-established Government-owned electricity corporations.

95102766 The Norwegian electricity industry: A deregulated market in a regulated Europe Diesen, E. Revenue de I’Energie, Dec. 1994, (4&t), 667-670.

According to the 1990 Energy Act, the hydra power based Norwegian electricity supply industry was deregulated. The main aim of the act was to promote efficient utilisation of resources through introduction of competi- tion. The act introduced open access for everyone to the network and fair and non-discriminatory pncing for network services. The consumers have now a free choice of suppliers. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration, NVE, has the responsibility for regulating the monopolised parts of the industry, the network, as well a supervising the competitive parts, production and trading. The Norwegian transmission grid has several connections with the neighbouring countries. Connections to Germany and the Netherlands are planned.

95102767 Peak load forecasting using a fuzzy neural network Dash, P. K. et al., Electric Power Systems Res., Jan. 1995, 32, (l), 19-23.

The paper describes electric load forecasting using a fuzzy neural network. Neural networks, though accurate in weekday load forecasting are poor at forecasting peak loads and holiday loads. A decision system for load fore- casting requires detailed analysis of data and the rule base has to be fixed heuristically for each season. The rules fixed in this way do not always yield the best forecast. This necessitates the development of a robust fore- casting technique to complement the neural network to achieve a reliable forecast with improved overall accuracy. The fuzzy neural network pro- posed generates the fuzzy rules from historical data while learning.

95102766 Power In perspective. Players, performance, pros- pects and potential prlvatisations, electricity supply in the UK and Europe Boytield, K. European Policy Forum, f20.00, 1994.

A review by Keith Boyfleld on the UK’s energy sector.

SSlO2769 Power station boost for coal mine Coal, Queensland Government Mining J., Mar. 1995, 96, p. 13.

Reports that the MIM majority-owned Collinsville coal mine in the north- ern Bowen Basin appears to have a bright future following steps taken to re-open the defunct Collinsville coal-fired power station.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts May 1995 199