Looking Ahead - Operating Generation as a Fleet

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Energy Insights Opinion
• In This Report
• Situation Overview
  • Introduction
  • Current Industry Dynamics
    • Business Environment
      • Energy Prices Will Remain High; It Is a Matter of Supply and Demand
      • Figure: Business Environment - High and Volatile Energy Prices
      • Market Development Remains Spotty and Subject to Changing Rules
      • Figure: Existing and Proposed Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators in North America
      • Concerns About Climate Change Have Spawned Environmental Initiatives
    • Business Drivers
      • The Rising Cost of Fuel Has Impacted Financial Performance
      • Figure: Worldwide and North America Generation by Fuel Type, 2003
      • Figure: Utility and Independent Power Producer Revenue and Net Income, 1Q03-3Q05
      • The Aging of Workforce and Assets Is Challenging Generation
      • Table: Age of Generation Plants by Fuel Type
      • Environmental Concerns Are Driving Investment in Controls
  • Business Strategies
  • Figure: Strategies in Operating Generation as a Fleet
    • Improving Unit Efficiency
    • Rightsizing Maintenance Inventory
    • Sharing Maintenance Best Practices
    • Managing the Workforce
    • Operating the Fleet Within the Market
    • When Deciding Where to Focus Efforts, Fuel Matters
    • Figure: Production Costs by Category and Fuel Type
    • Figure: Power Generations Strategies by Fuel Type
• Future Outlook
  • Industry Impact
    • Fleet Management Practices Will Become an Industry Standard
    • Centers of Excellence Will Advance Efficient Operation of Generation
    • Competitive Generators Will Increase the Use of Fleet Analytics
  • Technology and Vendors
  • Figure: The Fading Line Between Engineering and Information Technology
  • Figure: Examples of Vendors of Controls, Applications and Infrastructure
    • The Line Between Engineering Technology and Information Technology Is Fading
    • As Technologies Converge, Attention to Security Is Required
• Essential Guidance
  • Actions to Consider
    • Companies Owning Generation
    • Vendors of Information Technology
• Learn More
  • Related Research
  • Synopsis