Ed. note: This is a new weekly column by Elie Mystal, Managing Editor of Above the Law Redline. This space will focus on the laws that exist, should exist, and should be put out of their misery. OVER-REGULATED Gag Orders: Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is under criminal indictment for his role in the death… Keep reading →
Controversy is brewing as utilities consider “repowering” old coal-fired power plants across the US with natural gas. Several environmental groups initiated lawsuits to stop these plants from converting from coal to gas. Environmentalists want to shut the plants and replace the power they generate with renewables. Utilities argue this is not always possible, particularly in… Keep reading →
As society becomes more and more dependent on technology and Mother Nature continues to deliver dramatic weather events across all parts of the globe, utilities must develop and deploy newer and more advanced grid technologies that can proactively respond to potential impacts and recover quickly from outages. But, is grid modernization only about the technologies… Keep reading →
The New York Power Authority recently launched the state’s first energy management network operations center – the New York Energy Manager (NYEM). Housed in Albany in partnership with the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, NYEM, is a comprehensive network and decision tool that utilizes Big Data analytics to monitor and troubleshoot buildings to reduce… Keep reading →
With an almost eagle-eye-view of the Rocky Mountains from his office in Denver, Robert Attai advises clients on the emerging field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones. A partner in the law firm of Husch Blackwell, his clients sometime seek advice after acquiring a smaller firm that is using UAS in their… Keep reading →
Social media can be a fun way to keep up with friends, play games and kill time, but it can also be a source of real-time news and a platform used to disseminate critical information during emergencies. You’d be hard pressed to read an online news article or watch a news broadcast on television without… Keep reading →
Mission critical facilities like hospitals and university campuses depend on reliable (and typically redundant) energy sources to operate. In the event of a utility failure, natural disaster, or other catastrophe, these facilities need to know that they will be able to keep the power on and serve their communities continuously. Today, many organizations are turning… Keep reading →
With a Senate vote on two nominees for commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pending, there is unprecedented attention on this obscure regulator of interstate pipelines and electricity transmission. In 2005, Congress granted FERC additional authority to regulate electric grid reliability and security, but too often FERC has accommodated industry rather than enforce… Keep reading →
This year’s closing ceremony of the innovative event series New York Energy Week ended on a high note. It featured a familiar topic in energy circles: Utilities’ shifting role in the power generation market. Peter Molengraaf, CEO of Alliander – a Dutch distribution grid operator – wasted no time and cut right to the point with… Keep reading →
Energy consumers often seek similar goals when sourcing supply: Reliable, clean and cheap. The European Union is no exception and a new energy strategy document drafted in the wake of Gazprom’s latest natural gas supply cutoff reiterates that goal. “We must avoid Europe relying to such a high extent on fuel and gas imports. To… Keep reading →
