Since 2004, the year of the first major revision of Germany’s Renewable Energy Act (EEG), the country has added at least 35 gigawatts (GW) of solar and 35 GW of wind to its electric grid – enough to offset upwards of 35 coal plants. What’s more impressive is during the first half of 2014, close to 29 percent of Germany’s… Keep reading →
Fall is in the air, the State Fair of Texas is in full swing, and the annual meeting of the University of Texas (UT) and the University of Oklahoma (OU) will occur at Dallas’ Cotton Bowl this weekend. One of the greatest football rivalries in the Big 12, UT and OU have been battling it out since… Keep reading →
Local utility caves in to pressure, finally Having been slapped by the regulators for being slow and unimaginative – that is putting it politely – Hawaiian Electric Company was forced to make an about face. HECO now says it will get 67% of its electricity from renewables by 2030%, a third of that from… Keep reading →
As we’ve mentioned before, New York is changing how it evaluates and compensates electric utilities. One goal of this change is increased consumer engagement, which makes customers allies in the development of a more reliable, resilient, and ‘smart’ electric grid. Many customers have begun taking advantage of new energy technologies and their falling prices by turning to… Keep reading →
Late last week, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an important Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order, giving the agency a big win and aiding in the promise of a cleaner, smarter, and more efficient power grid. By upholding FERC’s Order 1000, the court confirmed what many think is common sense: Because the power grid crosses state and… Keep reading →
Demand response – an energy saving tool that encourages customers to shift their electricity use to times of day when there is less demand on the power grid or when more renewable energy is abundant – has been at the core of my work this summer as an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow. My host company, Jones Lang… Keep reading →
In June 2014, the EPA released its proposed carbon emissions rules to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel power plants. This so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ proposed a regulatory framework that mandates US power plants reduce GHG emissions 30 per cent by 2030 relative to their 2005 baseline. Taking center stage in this proposal… Keep reading →
The second annual New York Energy Week, held last week, brought together more than 4,000 industry leaders and innovators – double the number last year – to discuss the dynamic changes the state’s energy sector has seen in the last twelve months, including the state’s historic move to re-examine its utility business model. In a… 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 →
FERC has been shifting the terminology used to describe electricity consumers from “ratepayers” to “customers,” which better reflects current realities in the evolving utility industry. “The journey away from “ratepayer” starts when thinking about the utility as a provider of energy efficiency, demand response and other demand-side management techniques. When the utility is partly in… Keep reading →
