WE FACE HUGE, COMPLEX GLOBAL ENERGY CHALLENGES. COMPETITION UNLEASHES ALL THE POSSIBILITIES TO HELP SOLVE THESE CHALLENGES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.

Jim Burke, CEO, TXU Energy

CUSTOMER FIRES ENERGY COMPANY.

Lois Hedge-Peth, COO, Direct Energy

COMPETITION DRIVES INNOVATION AND LOWER PRICES IN BOTH WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ENERGY MARKETS. PERVASIVE COMPETITION WILL ALLOW OUR INDUSTRY TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE MAJOR ISSUES INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE, NEED FOR NEW GENERATION INVESTMENTS AND GRID INVESTMENTS.

Michael Kagan, President, Constellation NewEnergy

THE POWER INDUSTRY HAS BY THE THE LOWEST CAPACITY UTILITIZATION RATE AMONG CAPITAL-INTENSIVE BUSINESSES, AND ONLY COMPETITIVE RETAIL MARKETS CAN END MORE THAN A CENTURY OF INEFFICIENCY.

Mark Jacobs, CEO, Reliant Energy

These four articulate CEOs developed these four position statements at my request for a panel discussion that I moderated this week at KEMA's Executive Forum, outside Dallas. Jacobs, grounded by fog, was ably represented by Jim Ajello, Reliant senior vice president of business development. We had a lively conversation around these topics - and much more. But as I said at the conclusion of the 90-minute give-and-take, I have been around utility executives for several decades now. And the current class of top-tier utility managers are more articulate, passionate and intelligent than their predecessors.

It is a good thing given the herculean tasks that await them, one and all.