Northern States Power Essay Example For Students

Northern States Power Essay A leader in todays economic world, Northern StatesPower (NSP) is recognized for its outstanding performancein both regulated and nonregulated operations. Its regulatedoperation serves over two million electric and gascustomers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, SouthDakota, Arizona, and Michigan (NSP InvestorsOverview 1). Its head offices are located in Minneapolis,Minnesota, and the Chairman, President and ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO) is Mr. James J. Howard III(Howard 1). Its Viking Gas Transmission CompanySubsidiary owns and operates a 500-mile natural gaspipeline (NSP Investors Overview 1). Northern StatesPower is one of the nations leading energy companies withcompetitive rates, responsive service, and dependable andreliable energy. A relationship with NSP begans when theysign up for services with them; moreover, when you chooseto live in a certain area. Some of the facts about NSP areservices/people, profit, rates, and sources of power,standings, first aid/safety, Y2K, mer ger, and about howthey help within the community. In North Dakota, NSPprovides service to more than 80,000 electric customersand 30,000 gas customers in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot,and many surrounding communities (NSP NorthernDakota 1). They have served in these communities for over80 years (Northern States Power Energy Wise 2). Bypowering the world, NSP brings energy to (Howard 6): ?The international markets where we do business ? Thecommunities close to home where we contribute time andmoney ? To customers, who have ever-increasing energyneeds and choices ? To employees, who make the energywork ? And finally, to youthe shareholderswho haveplaced trust in them The 24th straight year in a row to markgrowth for NSP was 1998. Northern States Powerscommon stocks are traded on three different exchanges:New York Stock, Chicago Stock, and Pacific Stock. Itsticker tape symbol is NSP. Newspaper stock tables listNSP Company as NoStPw, NoStPwr, or NSPw (NSP Investors Overviews 2). Northern St ates Power and itssubsidiaries reported earning of $52.3 million or 34 cents ashare, for the first quarter of 1999. Operating revenue forthe quarter was up 6 percent to $743.2 million. Warmerweather, increased maintenance, and Y2K computer workis the cause of the decreased earning (NSP First-quarter). Advantages to being a registered shareholder are (NSP Investors overview 2): ? Dividend checks are sent directlyto you, deposited in the back account you designate, ormaybe reinvested in the company as you choose ? Youmay purchase additional stock (through dividendreinvestment and optional investment plans) with little or nofees ? You may deposit your share certificates with thecompany for safekeeping if you sign up for the DividendReinvestment Program ? Shareholder company mailingswill be sent directly to your address Electricity is anextremely price-volatile commodity. The price of on-peakelectricity on 15 April 1998 ranged from $20 permegawatt-hour to $38 per megawatt-hour. Competitiveprices serve us well today. But becomes an even greateradvantage in a competitive market (Howard 3). In tryingto compare different electrical Service Companies, I talkedwith my Uncle, Edward Schiele, from Karlsruhe, NorthDakota. I asked him what his monthly electric bill averagesand he said it is bet ween $100 to $115 a month during thewinter months. Verendrye Electric Cooperative out ofVelva, North Dakota, services Karlsruhe with its electricalneeds. Karlsruhe is a rural community of around 150-200people (Schiele, Edward). Our families electrical serviceneeds are serviced by NSP. My Mother, Virginia Schiele,said our last electrical bill was only $41.49. That is a bigdifference from my uncles bill. Additionally, my mother toldme that when we lived in Holiday Village Trailer Court wewere serviced by Verendrye Electric and the bill averagedaround $80 a month in the winter (Schiele, Virginia). Across North Dakota theyre many different electricalcompanies. Electricity from other utility companies can costup to 63 percent more than from Northern States Power. In checking nine different companies, they ranged from$72.50 a month with Cass County Electric to NorthernStates Power at $49.68. Northern States Power has thelowest electric rates for Northern Dakota customers. Ifyoure looking for the best value, it definitely is NorthernStates Power (Northern States Power Energy Wise 2). There is always a challenge on energy pricing. In recentyears, many businesses have explored co-generation. Thatis harnessing energy from the excess heat produced inmanufacturing (Brauer 2). Northern States Power isinvesting in renewable sources of power. It is studying theuse of solar, wind, and biomass energy sources and howthey fit into our energizes future needs (Northern StatesPower Company Home 2). During the 7th Century, theancient Persians were believed to have built the firstwindmill. The earlier windmills use driving pumps orgrindstones to produce power. Todays windmills useblades and were once a common sight on American farms(NSP Renew Wind 1). Wind turbines, the moderncounterpart of windmills, drive electric generators. Aturbine, installed on top of a tower, has three blades with arotor diameter of 160 feet. Towers average 100 to 175feet tall (NSP Renew Wind 1). A turbine operates underthe same principal as an airplane wings. Lift is the force thatpulls the blades covetin g the linear motion into rotationalmotion that drives an electric generator. It takes 67 to 200wind turbines to generate 100 megawatts of electricity(NSP Renew Wind 2). As with all sources of generation,NSP seeks to minimize the advantage and minimize thedisadvantages. They choose companies who can providethe latest, most cost-effective technology and select sitesidentified through extensive research as the windiest area. Parts of speech Analysis EssayNorthern States Powers action after this incident was toplace safety cones only five feet apart (Horsfall). NorthernStates Power goes international when they entered into adefinitive merger agreement with the Denver, Colorado,based New Century Energies (NSP New Release 1). The two utilities companies plan to create the nationsthird-largest utility company servicing well over three millioncustomers in the Untied Sates and two million customersinternationally. The new yet to be named company willstretch from the Canadian border to Mexico with a strongglobal presence in the Untied Kingdom, Central Europe,Australia, and South America (Padley 1). The merger isexpected to result in a net savings over the next 10 year ofover $1.1 billion. Additionally, it is expected to be atax-free, stock-for-stock exchange for shareholders ofboth companies. This merger prepares the new companyfor where the industry is going and not where it is todaywhich is important to customers of the future (NSP NewRelease 3). Working with retirees and their families, NSPworks to improve the quality of life in our communities. They support local and national initiatives and providedirect support for any involvement with schools, students,and community-based organizations (NSP Community 1 2). Northern States Power supports a wide variety ofcommunity based programs (NSP Community 1 2): ?Education Partnerships ? Event Support ? EnergyEducation K-12 ? Calendar Contest K-6 ? NonprofitBoard Participation ? Power Plant Tours ? SpeakersBureau ? Volunteerism The majority of these programs arebased in the Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota, area; butyou can contact any NSP office to see what services areavailable in your area. You can also request additionalinformation at emailprotected (NSP Community1). To sum things up, it has been said NSP is the energy tomake things happen. In doing the math, I found that lookingat the services/people, sources of power, rates, profits,Y2K, community involvement, and merger information thatyou cant go wrong in choosing NSP if you live in thereserving area. Northern States Power is the best value fouryour moneyany money does not go as far as it use to. Customers who get there electrical and gas needs fromNSP or anyone of their subsidiaries are truly the winners intodays world and getting their monies worth. Works CitedBrauer, David. NSPs Grass-Roots Political Strategy.Corporate Report Minnesota, Mar 94, Vol. 25, Issue 3,P40, 1p Deliver System Construction Field Operations. Monthly Performance Update. January 1999 Howard,James J. III. 1998 Shareholders Annual Meeting. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March 1999. Available:http://www.nspco.com/ nsp/jjhspeech/jh042298.htmMissouri Valley Line Constructors Apprenticeship. FirstAid. September 1993 NSP Biomass. Online. MicrosoftExplorer. Internet. 25 March 1999. Available:http://www.nspco.com/renewables/biomass.htm NSP Community Involvement. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March 1999. Available:http://www.nspco.com/nsp/Community%20involvement/cominv.htm NSP Environmental Initiaitives. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March 1999. Available:http://www.nspco.com/environ.htm NSP First-quarterEarning Cut. Minot Daily News 16 April 1999: B6 NSP News Release. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 25March 1999. Availablehttp://nspco.com/nsp/nwsrel/nwsrel98/123098.htm NSP News Release. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 26March 1999. Availablehttp://nspco.com/nsp/nwsrel/032599nr.htm NSP NorthDakota. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March1999. Available http://www.nspco.com/nsp/nd.htm NSP Renew Wind. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 25March 1999. Available:http://www.nspco.com/renewables/wind.htm NSP Solar. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 25 March 1999. Available: http://www.nspco.com/renewables/solar.htmNorthern States Power Investors Overview. Online. Microsoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March 1999. Available:http://www.corporate-ir.net/ ireye/ ir_site.zhtml?ticker=nspscript= 2100layout=7 Northern StatesPower Energy Wise (Publication for NSP Customers)Spring 1999 Northern States Power Company HomePage. Online. Microscoft Explorer. Internet. 22 March1999. Available: http://www.nspco.com/ Padley, Karen. NSP, Denver Utility to Merge. Saint Paul Pioneer Press,Minnesota. 25 March 1999. Northern States Power is oneof the nations leading energy companies with competitiverates, responsive service, and dependable and reliableenergy. Introduction I. Services/People A. ND CustomersB. Responsible II. Profit A. Growth B. Exchanges C. Benefits to Shareholders III Rates A. Prices B. Comparisons C. Bottom Line IV Sources of Power A. Wind B. Solar C. Biomass D. Environmental V StandingsA. Lost Work Days B. Safety Incidents C. ProjectsOn-Time VI Y2K A. Budget C. Completed VI First Aid /Safety A. Time B. Knowledge C. Incident D. OutcomeVIII Merger A. Reliable X Community A. ProgramsSupported B. Contact Conclusion Miscellaneous