Opinion

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  Outdated NEPA needs modernizing. Just ask Warren Buffett

  As the U.S. economy prepares to recover from the current crisis, important job and revenue-creating proposals like the 1,000 mile Gateway West transmission project don’t need to languish in a regulatory morass, the author writes.

  Paul Griffin • June 03, 2020

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  Is subnational carbon pricing the off-ramp for MOPR?

  FERC's April ruling refines the applicability of MOPR to green industrial policy and clarifies that it does not apply to voluntary private behavior and environmental policy, opening the door to emissions-based policies, the author writes.

  Devin Hartman • June 02, 2020

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  Decarbonization, not offsets — Private partnerships as the path to university carbon neutrality

  As the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign works to finalize its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, it should take a cue from fellow Big Ten school Ohio State and partner with the private sector, the authors write.

  Jigar Shah and Jonah Messinger • May 29, 2020

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  LCOE is not the metric you think it is

  The levelized cost of energy formulation overprices solar energy by 27%  and wind energy bu 18% as compared to natural gas-based power, the author says in calling for a new way to compare generation options. 

  James Loewen • May 28, 2020

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  The (energy) efficient road to small business recovery

  A Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant program, to supplement available utility incentives, represents the type of innovative but practical policy solutions that can get the U.S. economy going again, the authors write.

  Ralph Cavanagh and John Di Stasio • May 27, 2020

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  Pros and cons of FRRExit: Correcting the record in the wake of Monitoring Analytics' cost estimates

  As states weigh FERC’s Minimum Offer Price Rule order, it’s important to clarify the risks and benefits of an alternative to PJM’s centralized capacity procurement called the Fixed Resource Requirement, the authors write.

  Rob Gramlich and Miles Farmer • May 26, 2020

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  Got to have a code: Co-ops, The Wire's Omar Little, and the struggle to exit G&T providers

  HBO's The Wire and rural electric cooperatives are rarely mentioned in the same breath, but both prestige dystopian television show characters and cooperatives purport to live by a code, the authors write.

  Raymond L. Gifford and Matthew S. Larson • May 22, 2020

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  Energy efficiency has been hit hard by COVID-19; don't question its merits

  The goals of reducing energy waste and maintaining affordability are not at odds with each other, the president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council writes.

  Laura Sherman • May 20, 2020

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  6 reasons why California needs to deploy dynamic pricing by 2030

  The state's mandate for 100% renewable energy by 2045 will create challenges for system reliability, which can be maintained if load responds dynamically to changing system conditions, a Brattle Group Principal writes.

  Ahmad Faruqui • May 19, 2020

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  The risk to beneficial electrification: residential demand charges

  Electrification is only beneficial if it achieves one of society's goals without harming another, the author writes.

  Patty Durand • May 18, 2020

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  Markets over regulation: Driving lower emissions generation through a carbon tax

  Taxing carbon emissions would increase the price discrepancy between natural gas and coal and appropriately build into the prices the cost of CO2 emissions on the economy and our society, the authors write.

  Deborah A. Carroll, Kelly A. Stevens and John W. Rowe • May 15, 2020

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  ITC tax normalization limits solar growth and favors fossil fuels

  Solar could be the most profitable resource for utilities, if not for an obscure requirement associated with the ITC called "tax normalization," the authors write.

  Eric Blank and D.R. Richardson • May 14, 2020

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  Time to revisit utility energy efficiency programs

  Utility regulators should consider whether energy efficiency programs should be scaled down or even exist at all, the author writes.

  Kenneth W. Costello • May 13, 2020

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  Energy optimization: Shaping — and increasing — electricity use to reduce emissions

  Meaningful carbon emissions reductions will require fuel-switching as well as prioritizing efficiency at certain times more than others, the authors write.

  Mike Henchen and Sherri Billimoria • May 12, 2020

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  Dominion's nearly $50 monthly power bill hike in Virginia is a warning for other states

  The utility's monopoly status is functionally similar to the Fixed Resource Requirement offramp that some states across PJM are seeking, and could mean trouble for ratepayers, writes EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler.

  Todd Snitchler • May 11, 2020

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  Securing relief amid COVID-19: 4 considerations for utilities

  To lessen the liquidity burden for utilities, there are some crucial tax avenues and regulatory matters for utilities to consider, writes Kimberly Johnston, National Power & Utilities Tax Partner at Ernst & Young.

  Kimberly Johnston • May 07, 2020

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  States should leave markets that don't work for families and businesses after bad FERC decisions

  Reentering PJM and other markets can be reconsidered when a new FERC majority is ready to care at all about consumers instead of political donors, the author writes.

  Mark Kresowik • May 05, 2020

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  Powering through — and beyond — the crisis

  The grid can be part of how we return to a more resilient economy, putting Americans back to work and through investments that will keep the nation even better positioned for new threats and challenges in the future, the author writes.

  Sue Tierney • May 04, 2020

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  Elevating energy efficiency – At last!

  Imagine if, instead of paying for energy efficiency improvements through arcane ratepayer programs, we paid for them with project financing like we do power plants or transmission lines.

  Ken Colburn • May 01, 2020

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  Four steps electric utilities can take to support their communities during the COVID crisis

  Utilities can take a more targeted and impactful approach to supporting affected business and disadvantaged communities by accelerating energy efficiency and EV infrastructure investments, among other steps.

  Dan Gabaldon, Kyle Datta and Bob Zabors • April 29, 2020

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  Utility shutoff bans are in effect for many families, but what happens when they end?

  There will be an explosion of utility debt when disconnection moratoriums end, putting customers at risk of having their service shut off, the author writes.

  John Howat • April 28, 2020

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  Post-COVID-19: A positive outlook for the commercial solar industry

  Without flexibility in solar project finance, you won’t last long, according to the managing director of clean energy platform New Resource Solutions.

  Marc Palmer • April 27, 2020

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  Community-scale renewables poised for boost as California nears PURPA compliance again

  California has successfully promoted large-scale renewables and customer-owned systems. New inverter and plant control technologies are now making community-scale renewables a more attractive option.

  Ed Smeloff • April 24, 2020

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  Dear efficiency advocates: Don't fear electrification

  Many people in the energy efficiency space perceive building electrification as a threat to energy efficiency, but the Sacramento Municipal Utility District doesn't see it that way, the author writes.

  Richard Oberg • April 22, 2020

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  For hard-hit renewable sector, conversations in Congress show an encouraging trend

  Plans like Sen. John Barrasso's infrastructure recovery bill can help businesses turn the lights back on and get the country back to work on its energy future, according to the Conservative Energy Network.

  Mark Pischea • April 20, 2020

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