FERC Chasing the Uncatchable
Trying to fix mandatory capacity markets like trying to win at Whack-A-Mole, Part II
The proposals do not mandate participation in mandatory auction markets, much less try to set artificial floors on seller bids.
Illinois Approach to Regulating Distribution Utility of the Future
Annual formula rate is working to stabilize distribution ratemaking.
A lot has been said of alternative ratemaking approaches. The clearest, most direct path is what has been happening in Illinois, a success by any reasonable measure for a distribution utility.
The British Electricity Model: 25 Years of Experience
Should We Follow U.K.’s Lead?
British price cap regulation quickly became the international gold standard for regulation. It looked so simple. But if the purpose was to provide a dramatically different and less expensive electricity experience, it failed.
Has Retail Choice Delivered on its Promises?
Participation rates, customers’ bills, meaningful choice
Retail choice might have reduced retail electricity prices if it allowed customers to escape stranded costs, but that didn’t happen.
Remarkable Energy Careers: Jim Fama
We talked with Jim Fama, retiring and on his last day at EEI, about his remarkable career.
Jim Fama was the Edison Electric Institute’s vice president for energy delivery since 2002.
Expanding Deals, Shrinking Companies
After 20 years of consolidation, the industry looks distinctly different.
Today the focus has returned to building scale, as well as enhancing market access, financial stability, asset portfolio mix, and customer scale.
Most Influential Since 1990
Lions and luminaries who led the changes in utilities.
Those ten individuals who had the greatest hand in molding the electric utility industry of 2016.
US Energy Dept. Reports Germany is Still Coal Country
Germany is clearly embracing renewables, but reduction of climate change gases seems secondary.
The US Energy Department reported last week that Germany, notwithstanding its renewables rep, is still a coal country.
What was coal's share in Germany in 2015? It was 44 percent.
What was coal's share in the US in 2015? It was 33 percent.
How about the trend for coal in Germany? In 2013, coal's share was 45 percent. In 2014, coal's share was 43 percent.
So coal actually increased its share in Germany from 2014 to 2015 by a small amount.
Rooftop Solar Generated Half Percent in Q1
Last week’s Energy Dept. report: rooftop solar generated less than a half percent of residential consumption in Q1 2016.
Before the Memorial Day weekend, the Energy Department reported on the first quarter, January through March 2016.
Residential rooftop solar across the nation generated 1.6 million megawatt-hours in Q1. Residential customers consumed 346.8 million megawatt-hours of grid electricity.
So solar on the roofs of homes covered a half percent of homes' consumption of electricity.
Homes' consumption was down by 31.4 million megawatt-hours, compared with the prior year, Q1 2015. But this eight percent drop had little to do with solar trends.