The manufacturer can shift energy usage to periods when power prices are low to offset the production losses resulting from this arrangement, improving his or her bottom line.

FORBES: America's Smartest Power Grid

Although the banks have been raking in loan-arrangement fees, Edward Najarian, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, thinks that these have been partially offset by the loss of servicing fees on the older loans.

ECONOMIST: Hard times have been good to America's smaller banks