As in past years, electric utility executives made tough decisions in 2012, often based on incomplete information. During the first 10 months of the year, electric utilities and nearly everyone else in the U.S. were focused on a presidential race that was too close to call until the election was over. The candidates' differing views on energy, taxes and the economy made short- and long-term planning difficult for utilities. Compliance with stringent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions regulations also led to some tough decisions. And what seemed like an unprecedented number of severe weather events, which culminated with Hurricane Sandy in late October, put utilities' infrastructure vulnerabilities in the spotlight and created more difficult decisions.
展开▼
