China chip concerns The Carlyle Group’s recent acquisition of Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Co. prompted complaints in Taipei that the successor company, being international, might be able to circumvent rules limiting ­transfer of semiconductor technology to mainland China [see IEEE Spectrum, News, February]. But Carlyle has guaranteed that its new subsidiary will be relisted on the Taiwan stock ­exchange and remain subject to all the country’s regulations. Meanwhile, though Taipei gave several chip companies permission last December to build new factories on the mainland using 0.18‑micrometer technology, those companies have backed off from the new investments, citing a shortage of adequately trained engineers in the People’s Republic.

PHOTO: TXU

Texas tumult In the last year, the big Texas energy company TXU [photo] came under criticism for plans to build 11 large new coal-­generating plants, none providing for the ­capture and storage of carbon. But now, in the largest private equity takeover in U.S. history, an investor group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and the Texas Pacific Group is paying US $31.8 billion to acquire TXU. Following negotiations with environmental groups, KKR and Texas Pacific have pledged to cut back plans for new coal ­generation to three plants and to work nationally toward the ­creation of a cap-and-trade system for ­carbon emissions.