Recently released research has concluded that record levels of energy saving will occur during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday. Already the most popular sporting event of the year and a quasi-national holiday, the Super Bowl also results in large-scale energy savings for the duration of the event. This is mainly due to a significant variable… Keep reading →
Have you ever heard of a synchrophasor? It may sound like a word out of science fiction, but these mailbox-sized devices are already changing the electrical grid as we know it. The grid was born over a century ago, at a time when our needs were simpler and our demand much lower. More complex needs are… Keep reading →
This article is part of the Energy.gov series highlighting the “Top Things You Didn’t Know About…” Be sure to check back for more entries soon. 10. Hydropower is one of the oldest power sources on the planet, generating power when flowing water spins a wheel or turbine. It was used by farmers as far back as… Keep reading →
Late last week, the Solicitor General signaled its intention to file cert. before the Supreme Court in the demand response Order 745 case, EPSA v. FERC. Hidden within this legalese is an important update about a significant (and already complex) case. So what does it all mean? First, a bit of background Demand response pays… Keep reading →
The New York State Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative aims to answer the question of how to proceed with New York’s energy future in the face of aging electric generating plants and the need for a more resilient energy infrastructure. Electric Bill for Average Household in a Representative NY Town (600 kWh) Overview The… Keep reading →
In the last article of Breaking Energy’s series on Myanmar, we take a look at the state of foreign investment. For more on the challenges facing the government and how the country uses electricity, see the first article. For details on the government’s pricing structure and demand projections, see the second article. While residents… Keep reading →
Opinions vary on how serious are the challenges facing the industry. For some time now, everybody and his brother, as the saying goes, is talking about the rapid changes taking place within the electric power sector and the potential impact of these on the future of the industry. This newsletter has had its own share… Keep reading →
Edison Electric Institute, an industry group representing investor-owned utilities, has taken the net metering debate – which pits utilities against the residential solar industry – to the airwaves. Residential solar installations have grown rapidly over the past few years. “Arguably the most severe threat to the traditional utility business model is the advent of rooftop solar systems, which could… Keep reading →
Electricity prices plunge to 2.75 cents per kilowatt-hour as renewable energy dominates on Germany’s Reunification Day. Wind and solar power peaked at 59.1 percent of German power generation earlier this month. It happened at noon on a very windy and sunny October 3, which is the German holiday commemorating reunification. (Germany also hit peaks of… Keep reading →
With the 2014 FIFA World Cup less than a year away, Brazil is rapidly preparing its power grid to support the millions of visitors that will travel to the country for the event. Many of the transmission and distribution infrastructure challenges that Brazil is currently addressing were similar to the issues South Africa confronted during… Keep reading →
