Here’s an antipasto of the April issue.
"We want to make sure we're addressing the [cybersecurity] threat in the most aggressive ways, so that when a book like the one written by Ted Koppel is published, we can say, 'No, that's not the situation we're in today.' It might have been the situation we were in five years ago. But we're in a much better stance."
"Our analysis revealed that, unlike utility energy efficiency and solar PV programs, utility [electric vehicle] programs can put a downward pressure on customer rates."
"Some opponents of the Clean Power Plan suggest that the stay automatically extends all deadlines in the rule, including the far-off final emission standards that would not take effect until 2030, for the same amount of time that the stay remains in place – likely at least two years. But the Supreme Court's order is silent on this issue."
– Brendan Collins, April's PUF, page 22.
"Regulated utilities can again enable customers to say yes in large numbers, allowing them to accrue their own energy producing and energy saving assets. While we continue to support the traditional rate base model for grid level investments. Utilities can do this by matchmaking capable vendors with interested customers. And then financing their purchases at the utility's cost of capital"
"The path ahead that I recommend calls for state regulators or legislatures to define rooftop solar as energy that customers own – not as product utilities control and operate."
– Charles Cicchetti, April's PUF, page 9.
"The moral to this cautionary tale: If you provide something for free, like free storage and free distribution services provided to net metered solar customers, then too much of the free stuff will be used, expensive and irrational fixes will proliferate, and the costs for everyone else will go through the roof(top). Just Ducky."
– Steve Huntoon, April's PUF, page 52.
"The potential of virtual reality will be realized when it changes the way we interact with one another. The question is, will this technology change the way we communicate and transact business."
– Shawn DuBravac, April's PUF, page 54.
"We made light free, just about. You might say light will soon be too cheap to meter."
– Your editor, yours truly, April's PUF, page 6.
These tasty morsels from the magazine for commentary, opinion and debate on utility regulation and policy since 1929, Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Steve Mitnick, Editor-in-Chief, Public Utilities Fortnightly
E-mail me: mitnick@fortnightly.com
