Class of 2006
I really like what I do for a living, traveling and reporting on energy projects around the world. Over the years, our way of honoring those working towards energy independence through innovation is to interview them, and this year's nominees to the Class of 2006 continues in that tradition.

With the EPACT passage, an uptick in M &A activity is expected between electric utilities and gas distribution companies, Stuart Caplan of White & Case says.

Navigant's Lisa Frantzis wants to see more communications between stakeholders to ensure that the optimal approach is taken to accelerate business innovation and renewable implementations.

Weather derivative trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 2005 grew to $36 billion from $2.2 billion in '04. Swiss-Re holds a 20% market share, Juerg Trueb tells us from Zurich.

Seven parts of EPACT are summarized and evaluated for potential impacts by Ed Feo of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP. Under Victoria Haynes' tenure as CEO, RTI has doubled its revenue becoming the second largest independent research organization. Dr. Haynes is taking research from the lab to consumer products. (This is a trend I saw in the UK at Imperial College where two research products were launched on AIM). Nuclear techniques can provide quantitative information on locating bypassed or remaining oil, Dr. Badruzzaman at Chevron explains.

Eastman's gasification system was the first built in the US with on-stream availability of 98-99 % over two decades. Managing Director Brenda Barnicki sees IGCC competitive with other coal technologies. Michael Garland likes to invest Babcock-Brown's newly minted IPO funds into niche markets. He predicts the US market will have new generation in localized pockets and sees nuclear, renewables and coal.

Brad Kitchens, CEO of ScottMadden, provides three primary motives and three primary opportunities for consolidation in 2006. He sees a favorable investment climate and a secondary market.

Waukeshau's century of experience has produced gensets for applications in South American jungles, western Canada and remote regions of Kazakhstan and China, CEO Laird said.

World-Generation is pleased to honor Representative Joe Barton (R-TX) and Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) for their determination in leading their committees to enact legislation creating the EPAct of 2005.

We are equally proud of our Classes of 2000--2005 alumni and will be adding "Alumni News" starting with the March-April issue.

A tour of Yucca Mountain during Power-Gen in Vegas was my second visit to a nuclear site during 2005. The La Hague plant in France reprocesses spent fuel while Yucca is the designated geological repository for US nuclear waste. Inside the mountain, a five-mile tunnel has been engineered by Bechtel SAIC and President Ted Feigenbaum tells us in an exclusive interview about planning in "geological time".

Elster Electricity introduced EnergyAxis for the multi-utility markets used as a forecasting tool and for demand-side management programs, was developed by CEO Mark Munday.

GE Oil and Gas is one of seven businesses in GE Infrastructure. Claudi Santiago offers examples of how GE's global footprint and extensive portfolio are leveraged to create customer value.

Dr. Alan Hanson's plans for AREVA in the U.S. is marketing the EPR Reactor as a partner in Unistar Nuclear and to introduce reprocessing based on AREVA's La Hague plant in France.

World-Gen was invited to report on the launch of phase one at the Arklow offshore wind park in the Irish Sea developed by GE and Airtricity. Airtricity is Ireland's green utility, founded by Eddie O'Connor.

Capgemini provides consulting services to over 60 utilities in 20 countries. Capgemini's 10,000 energy consultants team with their clients, and Colette Lewiner explains the "Collaborative Business Experience".

Wilfred Breuer at Siemens PTD sees power consumption in developing countries increasing by 220 percent while industrialized countries will increase by 37 percent over the next 20 years.

IBM developed Intelligent Utility Network to introduce broadband over power lines or BPL technology for analysis in real time, Guido Bartels tells us from London.