Opinion

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  To get to net zero, cities need to think wider than buildings

  Solutions to climate change may lie in some old-fashioned values, like building strong communities, relying on neighbors and believing that design matters. 

  Tom Sieniewicz • Nov. 15, 2019
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  New battery storage on shaky ground in ancillary service markets

  New battery storage systems will quickly overwhelm relatively finite ancillary service demand in regulated and deregulated markets across North America.

  Derek Sackler • Nov. 14, 2019
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  Offshore wind will be a $1T industry by 2040, but our oceans and economy need it now

  By 2030, the U.S. offshore wind industry will expend some $70 billion to build the wind farms to meet states’ clean energy commitments, providing good jobs for some 40,000 people, the author writes.

  Stephanie McClellan • Nov. 13, 2019
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  Lessons learned from Europe: What US cities must do to achieve a clean electric future

  Cities are at the center of the battle against climate change, but they're also at the forefront of addressing the challenge — and European cities are outpacing the U.S. in their solutions.

  Rob Massoudi • Nov. 12, 2019
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  Sacramento utility's plan could block addition of new community solar, storage to local grid

  SMUD’s shared solar proposal misses the point and could set a damaging precedent for other utilities and energy providers throughout California, according to Vote Solar's Ed Smeloff.

  Ed Smeloff • Nov. 11, 2019
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  The last gasp of natural gas

  Policymakers, regulators and investors would be wise to see the writing on the wall: The gas bubble is about to burst, and they won’t want to be caught with billions of dollars in sunk infrastructure costs when it does, the authors write.

  Bruce Nilles and Mark Dyson • Nov. 08, 2019
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  How utilities wield bad science to stunt clean energy

  Big utilities are pulling out all the stops to block a transformational shift to planet-friendly power, two renewable energy advocates write.

  Greer Ryan and Emma Searson • Oct. 31, 2019
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  Cities can lead the way for vehicle grid integration

  Since the dawn of the modern EV era, grid operators have warned that the vehicles could overwhelm grid distribution systems. The warning has yet to materialize, but the threat remains.

  Scott Shepard • Oct. 29, 2019
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  Microgrids alone cannot eliminate wildfire risk

  Fully self-contained microgrids are not economic today, given all the ways in which they can serve as grid assets, so Edison Electric Institute warns against relying on them as an alternative to de-energizing power lines.

  Scott Aaronson • Oct. 25, 2019
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  We're already paying a carbon price — let's invoice those responsible and collect the dividends instead

  Powerful groups on both sides of the political spectrum, ranging from oil majors to environmental NGOs, have concrete ideas on how to set a price on carbon. Now it's just a matter of making the political sausage.

  Jacob Susman • Oct. 24, 2019
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  State clean energy policies are upending generation risk profiles. Here's what you need to know.

  Several factors are driving accelerated demand for renewables, and some of those factors may benefit more efficient, existing natural gas-fired assets in the near- to medium-term, three energy market experts from PA Consulting write.

  Ryan Hardy, Salem Esber and Dan Esposito • Oct. 23, 2019
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  A formula to fail? Separating fact from fiction in DTE's latest IRP

  A singular focus on environmental issues for utility resource plans, without concern for the impact on affordability and reliability, is a recipe for failure, a former Michigan public service commissioner writes.

  Steven Transeth • Oct. 21, 2019
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  Let's kill 'utility-' or 'grid-scale' storage

  "We're not calling for the end of the large-scale storage industry. We're saying that distributed, smaller-scale storage can provide all the same value to the grid that large-scale storage can," Stem's policy director said.

  Ted Ko • Oct. 17, 2019
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  5 key takeaways from the National Grid rate case

  Vote Solar partnered with the Northeast Clean Energy Council to make the interconnection process a central issue in the rate case.

  Nathan Phelps • Oct. 16, 2019
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  Clean Peaks & Polar Vortexes: Aligning climate and reliability goals in an extreme weather world

  If states do not align digitization, decentralization and decarbonization policies with a fourth dimension of diversification, industry may need to take unprecedented action, the authors write.

  Brian Evans-Mongeon, Dan Kopin and Lon Huber • Oct. 14, 2019
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  Resilient RPS: New Orleans' unique challenges require new solutions

  Ongoing shut-offs in the Bay Area are an ominous warning that local, distributed resources are a necessary part of a climate resilient future, the authors write.

  Karl R. Rábago & Thad Culley • Oct. 11, 2019
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  As renewables and DER expand, can IPPs be investment grade?

  The few remaining IPPs must adapt to new market realities or face an uncomfortable future, writes Aneesh Prabhu, senior director of U.S. Energy Infrastructure at S&P Global Ratings.

  Aneesh Prabhu • Oct. 09, 2019
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  These trends are defining the future of energy efficiency: Here's how utilities can prepare

  Utilities must leverage technology to modernize their business models, maximize program value and maintain relevance in the new, customer-centric environment.

  Michael Mernick • Oct. 08, 2019
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  Attracting next-gen urban EV consumers will require fancy footwork from charging companies

  The environmental and financial rewards are substantial for companies that figure out how to provide reliable, cost-effective charging in public parking garages.

  William Sierzchula • Oct. 07, 2019
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  Don't just stop the bloodletting: Utility survival and prosperity in a DER-centric future

  Utilities should stop trying to build better relationships with their customers and instead focus on building relationships with customers' assets, while using blockchain to bring it all together.

  Peter Bronski and Arno Laeven • Oct. 03, 2019
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  Ford, Dow and other Michigan companies want renewable energy, so why aren't they buying more?

  Green tariffs from Michigan utilities are relatively new, and most corporate customers are still exploring whether they can use these programs to meet sustainability goals while receiving competitively priced energy.

  Laura Sherman • Oct. 02, 2019
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  Don't leave low-income families behind in California's climate fight

  California policymakers have a tremendous opportunity to benefit all Californians — particularly those who are most at risk from the long-term consequences of climate change and face health and economic challenges today.

  J. Andrew McAllister & Ted Lamm • Sept. 30, 2019
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  How much is society willing to pay for resilience of the electric-power network?

  A customer-driven approach with service-differentiated pricing seems like the best way to know how much customers are willing to pay, but we shouldn't expect a socially optimal outcome from market forces alone.

  Kenneth W. Costello • Sept. 27, 2019
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  The energy transition: A $4.3T, underfunded opportunity

  The venture capital industry in energy is almost non-existent, something that is particularly odd given the size of the opportunity, writes Intelis Capital Partner Kevin Stevens.

  Kevin Stevens • Sept. 25, 2019
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  California needs 2.5 GW of new generation for reliability — keep gas out of that

  Instead of continuing to rely on out-of-date and harmful power plants, the CPUC needs to prioritize price-competitive renewable alternatives, writes Vote Solar's Ed Smeloff.

  Ed Smeloff • Sept. 24, 2019

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