That may be an understatement There has been a flurry of reports coming from all directions leading to similar conclusions, namely the demise of the traditional utility business model. The latest is a March 2014 report from an unlikely source, Morgan Stanley, concluding that “improvements in batteries and distributed generation could partly or completely eliminate… Keep reading →
The story of how net metering and onsite residential solar is eating way utilities’ profit margins is getting old, so what can these companies do about it? This piece suggest two strategies. “Clean Power Finance’s new partnership with North American Power demonstrates one of two ways in which a retail electricity provider (REP) can profit from selling… Keep reading →
Texas both produces and consumes more energy than any state in the U.S. It controls one-quarter of U.S. proven oil reserves. Energy companies looking to grow or to establish a U.S. presence set up operations in Texas. The primary electricity transmission system in Texas is independent of the rest of the country (a long-time source… Keep reading →
Hawaii has long been plagued by high electricity costs due to the need to import feedstock – predominantly fuel oil and some coal – which is why the prospect of producing more of its own power is attractive. But renewables require energy storage to help balance loads during the ebb and flow of consumption, so… Keep reading →
Energy efficiency is a proven value. In Ohio alone, energy efficiency programs have saved people a total of $1 billion since 2009. What’s more is that these savings far outweigh the costs to implement Ohio’s energy efficiency programs, which amount to less than half of the total savings. Yet Ohio utilities, particularly FirstEnergy, and large industrial companies want… Keep reading →
Conservative political groups are pushing for the repeal of renewable portfolio standards in several states. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is at the heart of these efforts, which are being underwritten by the Koch brothers and fossil fuel companies. “Clean energy is beginning to become mainstream,” said Gabe Elsner, executive director of the Energy… Keep reading →
Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important issue for utilities and other energy companies as more business tasks are connected to online environments in various ways. To better address these risks, President Obama issued Executive Order 13636, “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity,” which called for the development of a voluntary risk-based Cybersecurity to enhance the security and resilience… Keep reading →
How does Demand Response reduce electricity use? from Environmental Defense Fund Clean energy resources, like wind, solar, and energy efficiency, have certain key advantages over traditional, fossil fuel-based resources: they don’t require expensive, polluting fuels or large capital investment, consume little to no water, generate negligible carbon emissions, and are easily scalable. To take full advantage of… Keep reading →
The New York Times’ Coral Davenport tally’s the emissions numbers on Keystone XL which show the oil infrastructure project would likely have a limited impact on climate change. The anti-Keystone movement largely acknowledges this, but says the fact that presidential approval is required makes it a potent climate change symbol that indicates the United States’… Keep reading →
Quick Take: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a worldwide survey of CIOs from many different industries. They recently released a comparison that shows how utility CIOs think of themselves, and how that differs from other CIOs. It’s interesting stuff. In many ways, utility CIOs are doing a bit better than average. Yet many of them rate their own… Keep reading →
