Electricity Market Reform in Japan
Bumpy Road Ahead
This is the first in a series of three articles related to power market reform in Japan and its implications both for Japan and globally.
Energy People: Stan Garnett
We talked with Stan Garnett, former senior exec of two utilities, the day after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.
The Brexit vote neatly frames a rather historic episode in the utility industry worldwide.
Energy People: Jim Rogers
We talked with Jim Rogers, former CEO of Duke Energy.
Duke is now made up of five companies that existed in 1992. There are three difficult tasks in doing a successful combination. One is to negotiate it. The second, maybe the most difficult task, is actually getting the approval at both the state and federal levels. And lastly, the really hard work of combining the companies. It’s getting the cost savings as well as the revenue enhancements associated with the transaction. It is keeping the most talented people.
Future Shocked
New uses for electricity doubtless on the horizon albeit unpredictable
One vision of future power: By 2040, most households had at least one Powered Immersion room, some two or three.
Where are Renewables? Where are People?
Utility scale wind in Texas alone produced eight times more power than all the residential solar in the U.S.
Renewables generated 121.1 million megawatt-hours in the first four months of the year, per the latest Energy Department data.
That is, in vogue renewables. Excluded are out of vogue renewables: hydro and nuclear.
Utility scale solar generated 9.7 million megawatt-hours. Distributed solar generated 4.6 million.
Of the distributed solar number, 2.4 million was residential solar, 1.8 million was commercial, and 0.4 was industrial.
Electric Bills All-Time Record Low 1.4%
The falling percentage of electric bills has freed nearly 1% of consumption expenditures since the 1980s.
Last week, the Commerce Department's data for the Gross Domestic Product again highlighted electricity's affordability. Residential electric bills in May were 1.40 percent of personal consumption expenditures nationally.
This compares to 1.46 percent in May 2015, 1.43 percent in May 2014, and 1.43 percent in May 2013.
And compares to 1.40 percent in April 2016, 1.36 percent in March 2016, 1.39 percent in February 2016, and 1.41 percent in January 2016.
Bottom line? Residential electric bills have been consistently moderate for a while.
First Winner of PUF Cross-Examination Award
Times didn’t note Mississippi residential rates are 9.2% lower than last year and 11.4% below national average.
We urge The New York Times and others to take greater care if and when they’re inclined to blame electric bills for poverty and layoffs. These are scourges for which there are multiple causes and multiple approaches to lessen their burden.
Energy People: Ken Gerling
We talked with Ken Gerling, vice president of transmission projects at Burns & McDonnell.
During his twenty-five-years at Burns & McDonnell, Ken Gerling has managed transmission projects with capital costs of nearly two billion dollars, and led teams with as many as three hundred and fifty members.
Energy People: John Hargrove
We talked with John Hargrove, CEO of the Association of Energy Services Professionals.
John Hargrove has led the Association of Energy Professionals since March 2015. Previously, Hargrove was director of renewable programs at NV Energy in Nevada for 11 years.