T H E N E W S I N F O C U S

but the area fell outside the case law,' Florida Power & Light and massive energy shortages boundaries of the agreement-- could not wheel power to Praxair threatening the development of and therefore was never ap- because it would be in contraven- the national economy," the Peo- proved by the PSC--FPL could tion of the approved territorial ple's Daily, the party's official have violated the Sherman Anti- agreement," said the court, newspaper, said in a commentary trust Act. But if the PSC had allo- marking National Energy Conser- cated Brevard County to FPL, the Surprise: China's Communist vation Week, Oct. 9-14. "The use utilities would be immune to vio- Party Caltsfor Conservation of inefficient equipment consum- lation of federal antitrust law be- ing 30 to 80 percent more energy cause of the state action exemp- T h e demand-side management than developed countries makes tion doctrine. In essence, this | industry may be hobbled by the passing of the new Energy doctrine states that conduct that concerns about competition and Law all the more important and would otherwise be anticompeti- keeping prices down in the U.S. , timely," said the paper. five is permissible if it is clearly dr- but things are beginning to look China's power industry is also ticulated state policy and is ac- decidedly up for DSM advocates plagued by a shortage of electric- tively supervised by the state, ity supplies, and power develop-

"Even if it was not clearly in- ment has been unable to keep tended in the original agreements ., ~! i!,~i~ .... ,,! , y ~ ~! : pace with soaring economic to include Brevard County the !~i [~¢~-"_~-~i:: • .. ~ ,ii.d~/f~,~U ? v; ~i~ :. growth. Disputes over coal prices

, ' ~ ," i i ~

way the parties and particularly i , ! : ~ ~ llll~ and transportation problems have the commission have conducted ' q~"~,.,al~i~ ~ -~'lli i t i already led to serious coal short- themselves since that time indi- ~il !i ~ ~ f . ~ ~ ~ ~ ages and threatened the country's cates that Brevard County has already stressed capacity for pro- been allocated to FPL's service ter- ~ ! ! [ l t i I i ( ~ i viding adequate power supply in

ritor~" wrote Senior Circuit Judge ~ l l l t l l l i i i l t ~ I l l many parts of the country. Paul H. Roney for the three-judge ,/[ Todays although China lowered panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals . ~ ~ ! its coal consumption rate by 43 for the Eleventh Circuit. "For 30 ~ I ~ ~ . , ~ percent over the past decade, it years since [the territorial agree- still uses six times more energy ment was approved], the commis- in one of the unlikeliest places: per dollar of gross national prod- sion and the utilities have treated China. uct than Japan, making it one of Mims as part of Florida Power & Things are changing in China, the most inefficient energy users Light's service territory, in terms of the prevailing view of in the world, according to the criti-

i D u r i n g its 1981 to 1987 com- the country's energy challenges, if cal commentary. prehensive review of terri- not of free expression. The Corn- The Energy Law draft currently

torial agreements, the commission munist Party called on the Chi- under discussion in the National developed maps which depicted nese public last month to con- People's Congress would require Brevard County in FPUs service serve energy and suggested the industrial planners to file energy territory. Thereafter, the commis- government move quickly to en- consumption estimates and envi- sion denied its request to sell elec- act an energy law aimed at pro- ronmental impact statements on tricity to Praxair at a special rate. moting efficiency and protecting each project prior to approval by Finall~ in its 1989 declaratory the environment, the state. Central and local gov- statement, the commission specifi- "Legislation and enforcement is ernment agencies would set and cally found that, 'pursuant to the urgently needed to curb high con- implement conservation stand- applicable Florida statutes and sumption, waste, heavy pollution ards and strategies for state-

6 The Electricity Journal

T H E N E W S I N F O C U S

owned factories and other enter- 100 million Chinese in rural areas (FACTS) program. Other FACTS prises. The legislation also would still do not have access to electric- devices with more limited capa- ban state-owned companies from ity. bilities are now operating at sev- purchasing outdated, energy-guz- eral utilities across the count, . zling equipment and penalize The Technology Play "In an increasingly competitive buyers, manufacturers and sales era for the electric power industr~ agents, utilities need more sophisticated

"The law is a milestone for the AEP Puts Transmission technologies to cut costs and legal system," the newspaper said. Technology into Practice maximize use of their transmis-

Since 1979, when China em- sion assets," said Karl Stahlkopf, barked on its market-oriented eco- T h e board of directors of Ameri- EPRI vice president for power nomic reform drive, electricity | can Electric Power Co. has ap- delivery. "The UPFC offers an un- production has consistently fallen proved plans to build the world's precedented opportunity to con- short of demand by about 20 per- first demonstration of a major trol power flow directly, prevent- cent. Each year, about one-third of new type of electronic transmis- ing overloads and increasing production capacity at factories is overall system throughput." lost due to power cuts because ~ ~'7,---~ AEP's first UPFC will be in- many southern provinces cease , d ~ stalled by the end of 1996 at its operations three days a week, ac- ~ L ~ Inez Substation in eastern Ken- cording to the Ministry of Power tucky, where it will help increase Industry. The ministry goal will power transfer into a coal mining be to raise power capacity to t!! ~ ~ area that has experienced steady 300,000 MW and electricity out- electricity load growth. The de- put to 1.4 trillion kilowatt hours ~ vice will also provide voltage sup- by 2000, enough to provide elec- port to improve transmission sys- tricity for 95 percent of Chinese tem reliability in the heavily f a r m e r s . . ~ ~ ~ c r--~. / industrialized Tri-State area,

T h e People's Daily called for an " - ~ where the borders of Ohio, Ken- | e n e r g y conservation polic~ tucky, and West Virginia meet.

using price mechanisms and tax sion system control device, the I I ~A~e are exploring the feasi- credits to attract foreign invest- Unified Power Flow Controller V V bility of deploying sev- ment for power plants. This move (UPFC). The UPFC technology eral UPFCs in a centrally control- is an important part of the coun- was developed jointly by West- led fashion across our seven-state try's power strateg~ analysts said. inghouse Electric Corp. and the transmission system," said Bruce

"It is essential to cooperate with Electric Power Research Institute. Renz, AEP vice president of trans- foreign countries and interna- AEP will build and operate the mission and distribution services. tional lending agencies to tap fi- UPFC, integrating the new tech- Renz added that the UPFCs will nancing for power projects and nology into its transmission sys- enable AEP to increase power energy-saving technology;" the tem, one of the largest and most transfer "to take advantage of newspaper said. reliable extra-high voltage trans- new competitive opportunities,

China is the world's fourth larg- mission networks in the world, while improving the quality of est producer of electricity, but its UPFC is the latest and most versa- service to our customers by mak- per capita production is only 644 tile electronic controller devel- ing the existing network even kilowatt hours, ranking 80th oped through EPRI's decade-long more reliable." among all countries. More than Flexible AC Transmission System

November 1995 7