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  Community solar is hot. Why not community wind?

  Perhaps the biggest difference between yesterday’s community wind and today’s community solar markets is in their business models, which reflect their respective market and policy environments. 

  Mark Bolinger and Bentham Paulos • Sept. 27, 2023

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  Customer-driven clean energy procurement, not regulation, is driving decarbonization

  In 2022, voluntary renewable energy procurement deals by corporate and institutional customers were equivalent to 70% of the carbon-free energy capacity added to the grid.

  Kevin Hagen • Sept. 25, 2023

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  Retail ‘choice’: A bad deal for consumers and the planet

  Data from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois and several other states confirm that families pay far too much when they sign up for alternative electric supply instead of sticking with their utility companies.

  Jenifer Bosco • Sept. 22, 2023

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  We’re asking the wrong question about EVs and grid resiliency

  The U.S. has already passed the tipping point for mass electric vehicle adoption. Grid modernization must quickly follow, writes Chris Baker, the head of Enel X Way North America.

  Chris Baker • Sept. 19, 2023

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  When it comes to government funding for clean energy, money isn’t everything

  The rush to secure billions in clean energy and infrastructure funding has the potential to be disastrous if it goes wrong.

  Anne Clawson • Sept. 18, 2023

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  Competitive power markets are cleaner, cheaper and safer

  Competitive market systems have proven more effective at driving cost-effective decarbonization than single-utility markets, all while fostering reliability and long-term planning.

  Jon Wellinghoff and Pat Wood • Sept. 15, 2023

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  The grid needs to get together

  To transform the grid to meet the reliability and resilience needs of consumers, we must have meaningful interregional transmission policy in this country.

  Kelly Speakes-Backman • Sept. 14, 2023

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  FERC’s Christie raises issues that need raising about the RTO state of mind

  Recent remarks by Commissioner Mark Christie raise a valid question: What is the state of mind of RTO/ISO constructs, and can they drive an affordable, reliable and decarbonized future?

  Raymond L. Gifford and Matthew S. Larson • Sept. 13, 2023

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  EPA’s proposed carbon rules omit both the peaker problem and the peaker solution

  The EPA completely overlooked co-located battery storage as a “best system of emissions reduction” in its latest proposal to reduce carbon emissions from fossil-fueled power plants.

  Shelley Robbins • Sept. 12, 2023

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  Security by design’s shining moment: Cybersecurity for the energy transformation

  Strategic imperatives for today’s DER ecosystem — vendors, operators, integrators and utilities — could introduce a more secure and resilient grid tomorrow.

  Danielle Jablanski • Sept. 11, 2023

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  Price over performance: Why green energy is different from previous technology revolutions

  The green energy revolution won't provide the massive performance advantages seen in previous technology revolutions. Instead, it must be driven by price.

  Robin Gaster • Sept. 8, 2023

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  The elusive ‘value of resilience’: Why every utility is asking for it and why it’s so hard to pin down

  A cost-benefit analysis is crucial to most utility investment filings.Without the “value of resilience” metric, such analysis falls woefully short of giving regulators the insights to make a determination.

  Mishal Thadani • Sept. 7, 2023

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  DOE’s error-ridden analysis on coal CCS project threatens climate and engagement goals

  Evaluating whether technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture provide more benefit than harm is a critical activity for the U.S. on our decarbonization journey.

  Emily Grubert • Sept. 5, 2023

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  How EPA truck emissions standards can help move EV charging forward

  The agency’s draft Phase 3 rule for heavy-duty vehicle emissions sets ambitious and tangible targets, helping utility regulators get more comfortable with the compelling need for electric vehicle infrastructure.

  David Farnsworth • Sept. 1, 2023

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  Clean energy investment is surging, but success is far from guaranteed

  The newfound ambition to build a clean energy economy by mid-century has exposed foundational flaws in approving and connecting energy projects that, if not addressed soon, will make this goal impossible.

  Jason Grumet • Aug. 31, 2023

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  Amid record heat, CAISO’s day-ahead market is proving the value of a regional grid

  Establishing the Extended Day-Ahead Market is a significant milestone, but we need to get to a true regional grid, a Western Regional Transmission Organization, to achieve maximum benefits. 

  Mona Tierney-Lloyd and Jack Wadleigh • Aug. 30, 2023

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  Every load an island: Requiring hourly matching of clean electricity purchases would raise emissions

  Mandating it widely would stifle the development of the clean hydrogen industry, smother the voluntary market for clean electricity purchases and needlessly increase costs in compliance markets.

  Arne Olson, Nick Schlag, Greg Gangelhoff, and Anthony Fratto • Aug. 29, 2023

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  4 fixes utilities can make to boost energy equity

  If only throwing money at the problem of energy affordability and equity could solve it, we’d be in much better shape today than we are. Money is important, and required, but insufficient on its own.

  Ben Nathan • Aug. 28, 2023

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  The Airbnb of power: Why the electricity sector is ripe for platformization

  With the rise of rooftop solar, electric vehicles and home storage, more and more consumers now own their own generation assets — a resource potential that platform business models can tap into.

  By Tobias Menzel, Timm Teubner, Eric Gervet and Hanjo Arms • Aug. 22, 2023

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  Buried treasure: Building the business case for undergrounding

  Given the costs associated with storm-related outages, the question isn’t can we afford to underground more power lines but rather, can we afford not to?

  Chris Watts • Aug. 21, 2023

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  Virtual power plants: Resource adequacy without interconnection delays

  VPPs can be implemented today, but much more needs to happen to accelerate this transition at scale.

  Ryan Hledik, Kala Viswanathan and Kate Peters • Aug. 17, 2023

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  California’s facing climate and electric rates crises. Here’s how to solve them.

  To be successful, in addition to better communications, the transition to clean energy in California will need solutions that are less familiar to customers and policymakers.

  Matt Baker • Aug. 15, 2023

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  With a unique alignment of interests, now is the time to address methane emissions

  Given the public focus on sustainability as well as corporate commitments, it is in electric utilities’ best interest to ensure that their primary fuel source is as low emission and cost effective as possible.

  Jeffrey Kupfer • Aug. 14, 2023

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  Affordable energy in West Virginia starts with economic dispatch

  West Virginia’s utilities have been operating their coal plants while incurring large losses and could have saved their ratepayers money by taking advantage of cheaper available power sources in the PJM market.  

  Ashtin Massie, Maria Castillo, Joe Daniel • Aug. 9, 2023

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  California must act quickly or risk losing billions in federal community solar incentives

  The clock is ticking because a federal program to support community solar requires that states receiving a portion of the $7 billion start providing subsidies within 18 months of it being awarded.

  Aaron Halimi • Aug. 8, 2023

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