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With the demonstrable performance of prior utility tariff bonds, U.S. regulated electric utilities likely will expand their use of this securitization method. It is only sensible to use the technique to allow a utility to recover mandated costs over which the utility has no particular control in the most efficient manner possible. U.S. regulated electric utilities face a period of disruptive change, which will potentially increase significantly the financial risks faced by affected utilities that will add substantial rate recovery pressure.

The stated purpose of Dodd–Frank is to reduce systemic risk, increase transparency of the financial markets, and promote market integrity. Most likely, Dodd–Frank will affect energy companies in connection with their energy marketing, hedging, and trading activities – in other words, in connection with energy “swaps.” The consequences will range up and down a sliding scale depending on a particular firm's activities and the outcome of a federal rulemaking process still many months from completion.

The authors analyze recent FERC proceedings in respect of California's feed-in tariff (FIT), Assembly Bill 1613, for certain cogeneration systems and the potential new opportunities for implementation of state FITs under PURPA moving forward. They consider the remaining uncertainty in respect of FITs outside of the PURPA framework and conclude by recommending additional FERC clarification that could encourage additional renewable development.

To surmount obstacles to expanding and upgrading the nation's transmission system that are impeding development of the renewables sector, it is critical that these issues be resolved quickly and on a consistent rather than ad hoc basis.

The role that innovation plays in industry is, usually, exclusively discussed in more technically advanced industries (for example, automotives and pharmaceuticals). More mature and established industries, such as textiles and ceramics, are often neglected. This article redresses this balance by considering the role of technological innovation in the UK ceramics industry. Case analysis comprising both retrospective and current innovation in the industry is used to highlight the role of innovation and some of the antecedents to successful technological innovation.

This paper contrasts the theoretical model of flexible specialisation (FS) with recently collected empirical data from the UK ceramic tableware `industrial district', located in Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire. Whereas there are facets of the industry that match the FS thesis, countervailing arguments can be found that discount much of their significance. There is a lack of association between the FS model and the conduct of interorganisational relations, development of production technology and `impannatore’ co-ordination. However, elements of productive organisation, work processes, product variety and regional infrastructure give partial support to the model. In summary, at best partial support can be found for the claim that the tableware `industrial district’ has witnessed large-scale productive and organisational restructuring over the past 10 years.

The deskilling/reskilling controversy within the labour process debate is considered within the context of the implementation of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Effective implementation of CIM is shown to require an appreciation of the social and organizational issues associated with organizational change. As such the deskilling/reskilling issue is worthy of analysis within the CIM context and aspects of the labour process debate are examined. The effects of technological change on the skills of shopfloor oerators and supervisors are examined by analysing two dimensions of skill, technical complexity and discretion or autonomy. The paper concludes that the outcomes of technical change are framed by managerial perceptions and consequent decisions on how technology should be implemented in terms of work organisation.

As levels of investment in advanced manufacturing systems increase, effective project management becomes ever more critical. This paper demonstrates how the model proposed by Mintzberg, Raisinghani and Theoret in 1976, which structures complicated strategic decision processes, can be applied to the design of new production systems for both descriptive and analytical research purposes. This paper sets a detailed case study concerning the design and development of an advanced manufacturing system within the Mintzberg decision model and so breaks down the decision sequence into constituent parts. It thus shows how a structured model can provide a framework for the researcher who wishes to study decision episodes in the design of manufacturing facilities in greater depth.