EES NORTH AMERICA

Covering the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies, ees North America is the ideal platform for all stakeholders in the rapidly growing energy storage market. It takes place in the epicenter of the U.S. storage market: California. Co-located with Intersolar North America, ees North America provides the best opportunity to explore energy storage systems in combination with PV and beyond.

Utility's Role in Electricity's Future, Part II

Utility Execs Roundtable: We continued the conversation with execs from seven utilities in the Northeast who help lead their companies on future strategies

In part II of our roundtable, we discuss how new products and services are expected to create new revenue streams for utilities, augmenting the (slowly) declining traditional revenue.

Energy People: Rob Powelson

We talked with NARUC President, Commissioner Rob Powelson

Commissioner Powelson was installed as the 128th president of NARUC in November 2016.

Letter: Response to Cicchetti Re: Residential Demand Charges

A response to the article by Charles Cicchetti in our December 2016 issue

Charles Cicchetti's December 2016 article asserts TOU rates are a preferable alternative to demand charges for distributed energy resources (DER) customers. But TOU rates are not enough to maximize the benefits of DER.

Why Innovation?

Also, What, Who, Where, When?

Why is innovation all the rage? Yes, continual improvement always makes sense. But the dramatic changes being talked about, are they that urgent? Let's recognize how much customers vary in their electricity wants and needs, within service territories, between territories, and between states.

For Decades, Real Electric Price Has Fallen in South, Midwest, Northeast

If residential electricity had increased at the rate of general inflation since 1977, it would be around 13.66 cents per kilowatt-hour, over a penny higher than it is.

As we said in yesterday's column, the Labor Department just published December 2016's Consumer Price Index. The CPI for all consumer goods and services was up 2.1 percent from the prior December. The CPI for residential electric service was up 0.7 percent. 

The wide gap between the CPI for all goods and services and for electric service, 1.4 percent, means the real price for electricity fell significantly. 

Real Electric Price Fell in South, Midwest, Northeast

Gap between overall and electric CPI was quite dramatic in South, dramatic in the Midwest, significant in the Northeast.

The Labor Department just published December's Consumer Price Index. The CPI for all consumer goods and services was up 2.1 percent from the prior December. The CPI for residential electric service was up 0.7 percent. 

The wide gap between the CPI for all goods and services and for electric service, 1.4 percent, means the real price for electricity fell significantly. 

The fall in the real price for electricity is clearer when we look regionally. 

Saving Private Ryan, and Longer-Lasting Light Bulbs

A memorable scene in this great flick reminds us of electricity’s role in our culture, and reminds us of Akasaki’s momentous invention.

"Saving Private Ryan" won five Academy Awards, including Best Director (Steven Spielberg). The 1998 flick was about the post D-Day search for Private Ryan (Matt Damon), who lost three brothers in combat. 

There was this memorable scene:

 

What Edison Would and Wouldn't Recognize

Guest column

Sometimes we get a little carried away with notions about our electric industry infrastructure being out of date. Some commentators have used the statement: 

"Thomas Edison would likely recognize much of today's infrastructure"

as some sort of proof of technological deficiency. Well, I do not believe it is correct, much less proof of obsolescence.