Some details emerge 6

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1. 

   MarcGunther Posted 10:46 pm
   25 Feb 2007

   What's next?So is this the beginning of the end for conventional coal-fired plants, as David Hawkins of NRDC has said? Or a product of a unique situation in Texas that included well-organized enviros, a tone-deaf CEO, a state that has done almost nothing about conservation and a willing buyer in Texas Pacific led by investors David Bonderman and Bill Reilly with a long environmental track record? There are another 150 coal plants in some stage of development in the U.S. How many will go through?
   And if Bonderman and Texas Pacific want to be known as the "green" private equity firm, when will Burger King, which they also own, go all veggie? <g>
   
   Marc Gunther

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2. 

   amazingdrx Posted 11:48 pm
   25 Feb 2007

   Internet over ultility linesFrom the Sorkin piece:
   TXU is in the midst of an experiment to run broadband Internet over its power lines...
   This along with the move to use distributed storage with plugin cars:
   California's biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., is considering a plan to charge fleets of battery-powered cars overnight with wind energy and let consumers sell back some of the stored electricity during the day.
   http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/02/wind_en ...
   Internet over power lines will be needed to facilitate distributed storage and distributed generation.  
   There will be amazing  productivity gains from the elimination of redundant systems like cable tv, telephone, and eventually cell phone networks as the broadsband over the power lines is broadcast wirelessly using the power grid as an antennae.
   This revenue stream will help utilities pay for renewable distributed energy storage and generation.  And help in the task of billing for electricity used to charge plugin cars in varying locations.
   
   http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

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3. 

   schreinervideo Posted 2:02 am
   26 Feb 2007

   TXU and the Coal WarI disagree that TXU/KKR won't have an impact. It's part of a rapidly growing trend. Here in Utah, there's new and fast-growing concern that a proposed PacifiCorp/Intermountain Power coal-burning plant near Delta may not make it even though the governor and legislature are all for it. California won't accept its power anymore, Oregon won't approve a company plant there because they say the Utah plant violates the Clean Air Act, Sierra Club and Grand Canyon Trust are fighting it in court, and Congress is threatening a carbon tax. It's a Coal War that's like the Cold War: we'll just spend 'em out of existence. And if/when the public outcry against it grows, it may end up like Divine Strake: canceled.
   
   Internet video will save the world!

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4. 

   Tod Posted 2:41 am
   26 Feb 2007

   Wait and HopeVery, very interesting development, for sure. Whether or not it's mere "boardroom stalling" as someone mentioned or a legitimate step in the right direction may or may not ever become clear.
   What is hopeful is that this should compel enviros to search for similar, potentially more effective deals with other energy behemoths. I'm hoping this represents the crack in the armor we've all been waiting for and a "Berlin Wall" type of crumbling will unfold.
   
   
   
   "Because the world doesn't matter if you don't have the strength to go ahead and choose something that's really true." - Julio Cortazar
   
   
   
   http://www.todbrilliant.com

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5. 

   sunflower Posted 3:05 am
   26 Feb 2007

   Perception of riskWealthy and institutional investors are risk adverse and just want to park capital in a safe place.  The financial belly of a big utility project requires these investors.  Clearly, the risk of public revolt due to the catastrophe of global warming makes these coal projects too risky.
   Additionally, middle class investors will be looking for home runs in new technology, further exasperating the risk of old coal technology investments.

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6. 

   wren7 Posted 6:18 am
   27 Feb 2007

   Other biddersFrom the NYT article:  "Monday's merger agreement allows TXU's board to solicit bids from other potential buyers through April 16, and TXU said it intends to do so."
   It remains to be seen whether other bidders might drive up the price of the buyout, and if so whether environmental issues will become less important than in the current Kohlberg Kravis Roberts/Texas Pacific Group deal.  I hope not.
   
   

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