Benefits Add Up
SW Utilities Show Efficiency Benefits
The southwest region saw more energy saved from utility energy efficiency programs than was generated from solar power, both distributed and utility-scale.
Hooking Up
New Entrants, Many Ways to Engage
The ability of new entrants to interconnect new generation on a timely and fair basis is essential during the transition from coal to natural gas and renewables. But how cooperative will incumbents be about it? FERC has always understood that incumbents are incented to frustrate new entry.
Small Modular Reactors and Path Not Taken
Military Rivalry Fueled Nuclear Program
If we had to choose a new nuclear generating technology today, we would emphasize one that had no potential for catastrophic failure and minimized problems of long term waste storage. Perhaps we should revisit the path not taken: a thorium-fueled nuclear reactor design.
Vegas Energy, Baby
Las Vegas, model of energy efficiency
Having worked in Nevada for many years, I can assure you that Las Vegas is nothing if not mythical. Let’s break down some of those myths as they pertain to energy usage.
Is Customer Activism for Real?
New Business Model, A Balancing Act
The attention given to the new electricity customer seems to overlook the fact that electricity is basically a commodity. And that the average residential customer may in fact be satisfied with electric service and price.
Innovation and Capital Recovery
A History of Public Utility Regulation
The electric power industry is the key industry in our society. Nothing can function without adequate, reliable, fairly-priced produced and delivered electric service. Getting the capital recovery or depreciation right is not optional.
Innovation Gains Traction with Utilities
Industry’s Focus Evolves
How innovation is embraced will be a differentiating strategy. Successful innovation will be characterized by how well the industry can actually commercialize its outcomes.
Overcoming Fear of Fire
Lessons from the Neolithic Age
Some thrive. Others are lost to the ages. What makes the difference? Applied ingenuity.
Tracking the Bugs with Smart Meter Data
A few years ago, a medical researcher asked to add an agenda item to a meeting I was chairing in Geneva, Switzerland. Combining geographic and consumption data from real-time electric meter readings would allow public health officials to track the origin, path, and intensity of many contagious diseases.
Residential and Commercial Customers Set Records
The residential and commercial classes bought record volumes of electricity this summer
On Tuesday afternoon, the Energy Department published electricity industry data for August. Among the thousands of values was this number: 155,863.
As in 155,863 thousand megawatt-hours. That was the nation’s residential consumption of electricity in August.
Residential consumption has never been that high in any month in history.
August 2016 consumption is now number one. It beat number two, July 2011, by seven tenths of a percent.