| Fortnightly

How Many Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?

Organized markets will ensure the optimal number of bulbs are screwed in, at the marginal cost of bulb screwing.

How many utility commissioners does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Five. A problem for three-person commissions. Three commissioners to hear testimony on whether changing the bulb is in the public interest. One more commissioner to direct staff to write the decision and order, to screw it in. And a fifth commissioner to hear appeals, as to whether screwing it in is actually least cost.

How many utility rate managers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Byline:

Steve Mitnick

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Nikola's Memorable May, and The Donald

May Birthdays

On May 1, 1888, Nikola Tesla was issued seven patents that literally made our world. Together with an eighth patent issued two weeks later, Tesla laid the foundation for an alternating current-based electric grid.

Byline:

Steve Mitnick

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First Look at 2015 CO2 Emission Trends for the U.S.

Part I – Economy-wide Trends

The carbon dioxide emission reductions in the electric power sector have been the largest single factor in reductions in the U.S. since 2005.

Byline:

Daniel Klein

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Incubating the Technologies of Tomorrow

An important conduit from entrepreneurship to commercialization.

A need became apparent to bridge a gap between incubators and a successful product launch in a crowded energy marketplace.

Byline:

Ron Schoff

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Writing 'The Power Brokers'

Jeremiah D. Lambert, a lawyer in Washington, D.C., has served PJM and other clients in the electric utility industry and has written extensively on energy-related topics.

In “The Power Brokers: The Struggle to Shape and Control the Electric Power Industry,” I sought to craft a narrative, telling the story of an essential bedrock business through the players who influenced its course.

Byline:

Jeremiah D. Lambert

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Energy Policy Development Potential New Paradigm, and a Challenge

Towards a consensus-based outline of how technological advances can be encouraged and risk-managed.

We need to more seriously and collaboratively explore concepts across stakeholder groups, to gain a better understanding of different perspectives and priorities.

Byline:

Tom Sloan

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The Powerwall Follies

A year later, reality is kicking in.

One year after Elon Musk rolled out the Powerwall: The real price is 60 to 80 percent more than Musk claimed. A handful (yes, I mean about five) have actually been installed in Germany and Australia. None in the U.S. so far.

Byline:

Steve Huntoon

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Is Cleantech Coming of Age?

Analysis of investment data from the Cleantech Group i3 platform.

Private investment flows into cleantech reveal consistent signs of maturation. Cleantech is becoming more mature, diverse, and in some sectors – perhaps such as utilities – increasingly “conventional.”

Byline:

Daniel Gabaldon

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Tale of Two Grids

What a review of PUC cases tells us about the future of consumer technology and grid modernization.

There may be a more fundamental schism that raises fundamental questions about the role of the distribution utility and footprint of the natural monopoly.

Byline:

Cameron Brooks

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Federal Versus State Jurisdiction in the Electricity Business

Two back-to-back decisions by the Supreme Court in 2016 will fundamentally redefine the jurisdictional split.

If the Supreme Court holds to the principles and logic of its ruling in EPSA, it will restore states’ traditional central role in resource planning.

Byline:

Craig Roach and Vincent Musco

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