Leading Solutions

We offer a variety of ways to help power suppliers benefit in the new commodity business, including:

  • Fuel Procurement - assessing the economics of fuel markets and helping clients develop and implement effective fuel procurement strategies. We perform market research, analyze and forecast the performance of the fuel markets, evaluate the effects of changing market conditions, and develop procurement strategies. Recent projects have helped clients by addressing fuel prices, power plant tolling and fuel information systems.
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  • Opportunity and Biomass Fuel Assessment - helping clients find and evaluate opportunity and biomass fuels which offer generators a low-cost or a "green" component to their fuel mix. We perform feasibility assessments, develop strategies and help arrange for supplies. See box.


  • Organizational Assessments for Power Suppliers - reviewing organizational alignment, both internally and with other functions such as power plant operations and power marketing to provide the skills, tools and coordination necessary to effectively run a fuel department, even as competition changes the rules. We evaluate information systems for fuels that link fuels to the rest of the company. We also benchmark fuel departments with other similar operations.


  • Support for Clients in Volatile Energy Commodity Markets - working with clients to set up and implement methods to evaluate opportunities and risks in electricity and natural gas markets. We recommend or specify analytical and information solutions for electricity and natural gas. Services typically involve assistance with quantitative market analysis, strategy development, training, risk management, and market positioning of generation assets.


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    Evaluating Opportunity Fuels

    Opportunity fuels provide a competitive edge when they can be used to reduce the costs of generation. An opportunity fuel is a fuel that is less expensive than conventional fuels, but constrained in availability in some way. Examples include:

    • Industrial wastes and byproducts,
    • Coal-fine based "synfuels,"
    • Wood and wood wastes,
    • Tire-derived fuel,
    • Petroleum coke, and
    • Agricultural byproducts.

    Opportunity fuels may be used in limited niche applications. RDC has developed a methods for quickly identifying and evaluating opportunity fuel opportunities. This approach addresses

    1. Availability
    2. Transportation
    3. Technical issues
    4. Environmental considerations
    5. Economic feasibility
  • Technology Market Assessment - evaluating opportunities for new technologies for power production and environmental control. We perform market and economic analyses to help clients develop strategies for using a broad spectrum of technologies.


  • All these services can be customized to meet individual client needs. Customization may involve focusing a leading solution on a specific situation, developing a solution that cuts across capability areas or developing an innovative approach to a new problem.


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