Fortnightly Magazine - September 2016

In a world where carbon dioxide has become somehow toxic, carbon-free energy sources are sought after all over the world. Nuclear energy is the other white meat, so to speak. Renewable nuclear energy, which can be recycled, has great value and should be encouraged. Here are five things policy makers can do to enhance the taste of nuclear energy.

State legislators must be mindful that the customer base is evolving. We will need to reassess the enabling legislation that defines the consumer advocate’s roles in our various states. The consumer advocates, within the statutory authority granted, may have to choose which customers to represent before utility commissions.

Each year the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices convenes governors’ energy advisors. They share lessons learned on state policy and hear about the array of issues impacting the energy sector. In June 2016, takeaways included the need to understand more about equity issues surrounding emerging technologies for low-income populations, potential changes to utility business models, and the energy-water nexus.

Mitnick’s observation was visionary, that we are heading toward an industry that will become increasingly dominated by fixed costs. Even so, he could have gone one step further.