3. RESULTADOS Y DISCUSION
3.2 ANALISIS SANGUINEO: HEMATOCRITO Y LEUCOGRAMA
The Swedish gas pipeline system is constructed along the western coast of Sweden, starting in Dragør, Denmark and ending in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gas represents approximately 20 percent of total energy supply in the Nordic region, although it com- prises less than 2 percent of Sweden’s total energy supply. The 320 km national gas transmission pipeline is owned by Swede- gas AB, a consortium in which E.ON Ruhrgas International AG holds a 29.6 percent interest. E.ON Nordic owns, operates and maintains a regional high-pressure gas pipeline with a length of 202 km and a low-pressure gas distribution pipeline with a length of 1,700 km. In addition, E.ON Nordic has an underground gas storage facility in Getinge with a working capacity of 8.5 million m3 and a maximum withdrawal rate of 40,000 m3/hour. In 2008, E.ON Nordic transported a total of 5.8 billion kWh of gas through its gas pipeline system.
The Swedish natural gas market is currently connected to the Danish natural gas market through one supply route. Sweden’s strategic location between two of the largest producers, Russia and Norway, has led to the initiation of several studies and projects with the aim of increasing supplies to or via Sweden.
Mid-Norrland Mälardalen/Örebro Southern Sweden Malmö Norrköping Stockholm Kainuun Energia
Overview
E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company with businesses in power generation, retail gas and electric utility services, as well as asset-based energy marketing. Asset-based energy marketing involves the off-system sale of excess power generated by physical assets owned or controlled by E.ON U.S. and its affiliates. E.ON U.S.’s power generation and retail electricity and gas ser- vices are located principally in Kentucky, with small customer bases in Virginia and Tennessee. As of December 31, 2008, E.ON U.S. owned or controlled aggregate generating capacity of approximately 7,500 MW. In 2008, E.ON U.S. served more than one million customers. The U.S. Midwest market unit recorded sales of €1,880 million in 2008 and adjusted EBIT of €395 million.
Operations
In the areas of the United States in which E.ON U.S. operates, electricity generated at power stations is delivered to consum- ers through an integrated transmission and distribution system. For information about the principal segments of the electric- ity industry, see “—Central Europe—Operations.” In 2008, E.ON U.S. was actively involved in generation, transmission, distribu- tion, retail and trading in the states in which it had utility operations.
E.ON U.S. divides its operations into regulated utility and non-regulated businesses. Utility operations are subject to state reg- ulation that sets rates charged to retail customers.
In the regulated utility business, which accounted for approximately 97 percent of E.ON U.S.’s revenues in 2008 (83 percent electricity, 17 percent gas), E.ON U.S. operates two wholly owned utility subsidiaries: Louisville Gas and Electric Company (“LG&E”), an electricity and natural gas utility based in Louisville, Kentucky, which serves customers in Louisville and 17 sur- rounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company (“KU”), an electric utility based in Lexington, Kentucky, which serves cus- tomers in 77 Kentucky counties, five counties in Virginia and one county in Tennessee.
E.ON U.S.’s non-regulated business, which accounted for approximately 3 percent of E.ON U.S.’s sales in 2008, is comprised of the operations of E.ON U.S. Capital Corp. (“ECC”).
Market Environment
In the United States, the market environment for electricity companies varies from state to state, depending on the level of deregulation enacted in each jurisdiction.
The electric power industry remains highly regulated at the retail level in much of the U.S., including Kentucky, although in some parts of the country, it has become more competitive as a result of price and supply deregulation and other regulatory changes. In approximately one-third of the United States, retail electricity customers can now choose their electricity supplier; however, some states have taken steps to halt deregulation or implement re-regulation, including Virginia. To better support a competitive industry, federal regulators are transforming the manner in which the electric transmission grid is operated. Transmission-owning entities are generally encouraged by federal regulators to transfer individual control over the operation of their transmission systems to regional transmission organizations (“RTOs”). These RTOs are intended to ensure non-discrim- inatory and open access to the nation’s electric transmission system. Depending on the specifics of deregulation in the states in which they operate, U.S. electric utilities have adopted different strategies and structures, sometimes divesting one or more of the generation, transmission, distribution or supply components of their businesses. E.ON U.S. was previously part of MISO. See the further discussion under “Transmission” below.
E.ON U.S.’s electric service territories are located in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. At present, due to the absence of cus- tomer choice or competitive market requirements in its service territories, none of E.ON U.S.’s retail utility operations are sub- ject to customer choice or competitive market conditions. E.ON U.S.’s customers are therefore generally required to purchase their electric service from E.ON U.S.’s utility subsidiaries at prices approved by state regulators.
E.ON U.S.’s primary retail electric service territories are located in Kentucky, which accounted for approximately 70 percent of E.ON U.S.’s total revenues in 2008. To date, neither the Kentucky General Assembly nor the Kentucky Public Service Commis- sion (“KPSC”) have adopted or announced a plan or timetable for retail electric industry competition in Kentucky. However, the nature or timing of any new legislative or regulatory actions regarding industry restructuring or the introduction of competi- tion and their impact on LG&E and KU cannot currently be predicted.
In April 2007, Virginia enacted legislation which terminated competitive electric service in the state at the end of 2008 and adopted a hybrid model of re-regulation, whereby utility rates are to be reviewed biannually. Due to an existing legislative exemption from the prior competitive choice framework, KU also is exempt from the new model and remains under traditional regulation allowing for periodic applications for recovery of prudently incurred costs in base rates. During 2008, KU’s Virginia operations accounted for approximately 4 percent of KU’s total revenues and approximately 2 percent of E.ON U.S.’s total rev- enues. E.ON U.S.’s very limited Tennessee operations accounted for less than 1 percent of its total revenues in each of 2008 and 2007.
Seasonal variations in U.S. demand for electricity reflect the summer air-conditioning period as the time of peak load require- ments, with a lesser peak during the winter heating period, the latter primarily in regions which do not have extensive gas distribution networks. The peak period of retail gas demand is the winter heating period.