Quick Take: Utilities are already saddled with myriad mandates ranging from renewables to energy efficiency to cybersecurity to coal plant standards and many more. But they should have a few years respite from the prospects of a carbon tax or other climate change legislation. This despite an about-to-be-released report with additional evidence that fossil fuels are… Keep reading →
Only a few short years ago the U.S. coal industry enjoyed a mini-renaissance with several new large power plants brought on line in 2010 and 2011, which at the time firmly entrenched coal as the dominant source of electric generation in the U.S. Since then, coal’s share of the electric market has contracted sharply, and… Keep reading →
Determining the value of a Nest thermostat appears straightforward – compare the costs of purchase and installation with the total energy cost savings gain. However, this equation doesn’t account for an increasingly popular and potentially disruptive business model: the bundled energy efficiency/electricity supply contract. About the Nest Thermostat The Nest thermostat is the most publicized hardware… Keep reading →
8. Distributed wind power is used at or near where it is generated, as opposed to wind power from wholesale generation, where power is sent to consumers via transmission lines and substations. Employed by households, schools, farms, industrial facilities, and municipalities alike, distributed wind doesn’t only refer to small-scale turbines; it includes any size turbine or array of… Keep reading →
Persistently low natural gas prices and a search for stable cash flows helped drive a large year-over-year increase in power and utilities mergers and acquisitions in 2Q 2013, according to accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers. The value of North American power and utilities M&A deals worth $50 million or more rose sharply year-over-year, reaching $12.5 billion, up… Keep reading →
US energy policy is on hold for now, but several top-tier energy issues issues will be front and center when the House and Senate return to Capitol Hill after the August recess, according to Frank Maisano, Senior principal in law firm Bracewell Giuliani’s Government Relations and Strategic Communications Practice. Energy watchers should be on the… Keep reading →
New York broke temperature and energy-use records in late July, and expectations that heat waves might become a more common feature of Eastern Seaboard summers are raising pressing questions about power grid stability, and how utilities can manage the load when demand peaks. There are both supply- and demand-side solutions to managing rising energy demand in… Keep reading →
In a new white paper on EVs, SoCal Edison reports that it encountered fewer grid problems than expected, though certain challenges remain. For years, we’ve heard the warnings that plug-in electric vehicles could overload power grids, disrupt utility business models, and leave their owners stranded at the side of the road with no charging… Keep reading →
Quick Take: America’s 5 most loveable utilities? According to one study of consumer engagement, they are: Arizona Public Service (APS) Clark Public Utilities Salt River Project Seattle City Light SMUD What made them so popular? They offered customers a choice of programs and services. Repeat after me. Customers love choice. Customers love choice. I will… Keep reading →
Five people will make a decision soon that will have an outsized impact on the future of renewable energy in America. I’m not talking about big shots like Obama, Koch, Boehner, Bloomberg, or Steyer. I’m talking about names many have never heard of: Moeller, Norris, LaFleur, Clark, and Binz (if he is confirmed). These are the chief… Keep reading →
