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New Year 2017: The Trump Administration

Change Will Occur, Slowly

It is not possible to know what priorities the new administration will pursue. It is possible for legislators, regulators, and utilities to make some assumptions: coal will continue to decline as a generation fuel, previous utility investment and court decisions will carry forward. Legislators will continue to promote generation fuel diversity to best ensure system reliability.
Byline: 

Kansas Representative Tom Sloan

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Golden Rule Applies to Public Servants

Harassment is Wrong

It is appropriate that people are passionate about sharing their views with utility regulators. But demonizing or implicitly threatening a public servant should have no place in public discourse.
Byline: 

Sue Kelly

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What is the Right Rate Design?

Fairness Is In the Eye of the Beholder

Fairness has conflicting meanings for customers, utilities, power generators, DER providers, and others. Regulators and policymakers must understand their goal should not be the perfect rate design; it doesn't exist.
Byline: 

Tanuj Deora

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Nuclear Power as A Carbon Reduction Strategy

Low Carbon, not Always Low Cost

Consider the current U.S. low power price environment as the country shifts away from coal and toward cleaner energy sources to reduce carbon emissions. What are the prospects that nuclear energy will continue to play a role in the U.S. power mix? That's the question that Michael Haggarty addressed in a recent report on global nuclear power generation.
Byline: 

Moody's Investors Service

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The Impact of Time-of-Use Rates in Ontario

TOU Shows Tangible Results

With the mass rollout of smart meters, the idea of default TOU rates is gaining traction. This article presents the load shifting and conservation impacts of TOU rates on residential electricity use in Ontario from their inception in 2009 through to the end of 2014.
Byline: 

Neil Lessem, Ahmad Faruqui, Sanem Sergici and Dean Mountain

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VARs

Problems, Not Just on Transmission Lines

No part of the grid seems to be more obscure or misunderstood than reactive power. "It's like the head on a glass of beer," is one of the amusing descriptions of VARs. But to understand the operation, limitations and problems facing our transmission system as we transition to the greater use of renewables, an understanding of VARs is critical.
Byline: 

Charles Bayless

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Are We Paying Too Much for Residential Solar?

Many Voters Unaware of Costs

The typical solar customer in Southern California could recover their investment in seven years. After which, the facility would provide essentially free electricity for at least 18 more years. If this sounds too good to be true, it is. Those generous returns are paid for by federal taxpayers and California residential customers that lack rooftop solar.
Byline: 

By Robert Borlick

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Cybersecurity, Part 1

Opportunities and Challenges for State Utility Regulators

This article examines the evolving role of state regulators in addressing cybersecurity in the energy sector. It highlights the importance of developing state regulatory processes that promote efficiency, maintain confidentiality, consider affordability and incentivize investment, while ensuring both the cost-effectiveness and security of utility infrastructure.
Byline: 

By Commissioner Sherina Maye Edwards, Illinois Commerce Commission, and Caitlin Shields, with Anne McKeon and Nakhia Crossley

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The Power of Innovation, Part II

Utility Execs' Roundtable: We sat down with five utility execs who lead their companies on innovation

Migrating to a model that focuses on product and service volume to produce margins is a fundamental shift. But the challenge these executives acknowledge is learning how to blend several unique business models as the scope of their business expands.
Byline: 

By Public Utilities Fortnightly

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

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

Navigant and Public Utilities Fortnightly convened a roundtable of utility execs to peer into electricity's future, hosted by Con Edison at its historic Manhattan headquarters.
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