Baltimore has always been very sensitive to mild weather. That's a major reason they expanded their non-regulated trading business. |
Electricity is now trading as a commodity - as soon as there's a shortage, that number goes up. |
He can, if he does the restructuring smartly, save more than he will be paid. He is a master at this, and it is not an easy task. |
I think that it at least puts this enormous obstacle out of the way. Now that the polemics are over everybody can finally discuss things with less emotion. |
It's obviously the right thing to do. Most companies realize the residential class just can not get a rate shock. |
Probably most of the plants they intend to sell are in the Southeast. It is a tough market and very regulated, so it was harder for them to carve a place there. |
The company has insisted that last year was an exceptional year. I don't think this (drop in earnings) changes much of their long-term outlook. |
The company is anxious to get out of bankruptcy and to bring itself into compliance with the environment. This should happen in a matter of months. |
The rise in power prices was much greater than any kind of demand growth could have produced. |
You almost conceptually expect that gasoline prices will be just about as volatile as petroleum and oil prices. It's hard to do the same with electricity. |
You have a company that cannot sell its power and customers who are going to have higher prices to pay. That's the price of shutting down the plant. I hope people are happy they can breathe better, but nothing comes cheaply in energy. |