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Selections From our Library
Browse a few of our latest or featured documents below. If you don’t see what you need or are looking for something specific you can search the RAP Library.
Featured Documents
Emissions Trading as an Air Quality Management Tool
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- Publication
- Date:
- Authors:
- Catherine Witherspoon, Chris James, Max Dupuy, Zhao Lijian
Document Summary
Emissions Trading as an Air Quality Management Tool
Emissions trading is an established practice in air quality management programs around the world. China has been evaluating emission trading schemes since the 1980’s and is now planning major expansion in geographical scope and depth. Specifically, China is considering emissions trading as a way to achieve the Total Emission Control limits in the 12th Five Year Plan, and as a way of mitigating new industrial growth. Previously, China experimented with emissions trading for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and water borne pollutants. This paper examines emissions trading as an air quality management tool and discusses how to apply that tool effectively. No emission trading system is perfect but it is possible to keep defects to a minimum, so that the economy and environment both prosper.
- Type:
- Publication
- Authors:
- Catherine Witherspoon
- Chris James
- Max Dupuy
- Zhao Lijian
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- Size:
- 2 MB
Practicing Risk Awareness: What Every State Regulator Needs to Know
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- Publication
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- Authors:
- Ron Binz, Rich Sedano, Denise Furey, Dan Mullen
Document Summary
Practicing Risk Awareness: What Every State Regulator Needs to Know
Over the next decade or two, state regulatory utility commissions will preside over some of the most important investments in the history of the U.S. electric power sector during perhaps its most challenging and tumultuous period. This report seeks to provide regulators with a thorough discussion of risk, and to suggest an approach—“risk-aware regulation”—whereby regulators can explicitly and proactively seek to identify, understand and minimize the risks associated with electric utility resource investment. It is hoped that this approach will result in the efficient deployment of capital, the continued financial health of utilities, and the confidence and satisfaction of the customers on whose behalf utilities invest.
- Type:
- Publication
- Authors:
- Ron Binz
- Rich Sedano
- Denise Furey
- Dan Mullen
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- Filetype:
- Size:
- 4 MB
Energy Efficiency Feed-in-Tariffs: Key Policy and Design Considerations
Document Summary
Energy Efficiency Feed-in-Tariffs: Key Policy and Design Considerations
Energy efficiency feed-in-tariffs (FiTs) are an intriguing new concept for accelerating investment in end-use energy efficiency. By offering a significant new revenue stream for any business that can generate savings, they have the potential to unearth and harness innovations in delivering cost-effective energy savings that have not been seen to date. However, that promise has not yet been tested. Drawing on experience in the United States with related programmes and policies, this white paper identifies, explores and provides recommendations on a variety of design and implementation challenges that will need to be effectively addressed if the potential benefits of efficiency FiTs are to be realized.
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- Publication
- Authors:
- Chris Neme
- Richard Cowart
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- Size:
- 836 kB
Latest Documents
Meeting Renewable Energy Targets in the West at Least Cost: The Integration Challenge
Document Summary
Meeting Renewable Energy Targets in the West at Least Cost: The Integration Challenge
At the Western Interstate Energy Board meeting on May 2, 2012, Lisa Schwartz summarized RAP’s paper for Western Governors’ Association on ways to reduce integration costs for wind and solar in the Western U.S., the benefits and implementation barriers, and recommendations for consideration by states. RAP produced the paper in collaboration with Exeter Associates and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
- Type:
- Presentation
- Authors:
- Lisa Schwartz
- Date:
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- Size:
- 1 MB
Risk-Aware Electricity Regulation: Risk Mitigation Benefits of Energy Efficiency in Long Term Utility Investment
Document Summary
Risk-Aware Electricity Regulation: Risk Mitigation Benefits of Energy Efficiency in Long Term Utility Investment
Richard Sedano highlights challenges of utility regulation over the next decade or two as reflected in a new report titled “Risk-Aware Electricity Regulation: Risk Mitigation Benefits of Energy Efficiency in Long Term Utility Investment.” State regulatory utility commissions will preside over some of the most important investments in the history of the U.S. electric power sector during perhaps its most challenging and tumultuous period. This report seeks to provide regulators with a thorough discussion of risk, and to suggest an approach—“risk-aware regulation”—whereby regulators can explicitly and proactively seek to identify, understand and minimize the risks associated with electric utility resource investment. Among the conclusions shared are that regulation and operating utilities will get more challenging with more risk, that new business models, regulatory practices and paradigms are timely, affirmative risk management can avoid expensive mistakes and energy efficiency will do well in risk-aware regulation.
- Type:
- Presentation
- Authors:
- Rich Sedano
- Date:
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- Size:
- 514 kB
Determining Energy Savings for Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes
Document Summary
Determining Energy Savings for Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes
This report on determining energy savings for Energy Efficiency Obligation (EEO) schemes was drafted in response to the publication by the European Commission of the draft Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). In particular, the report addresses Article 6 on energy efficiency obligation schemes and the accompanying Annex V. The aim of this report is to help ensure that EEOs on energy distributors or retail energy sales companies are established by Member States in a transparent, consistent, and coherent manner when it comes to evaluating the energy savings from such obligations. This report is based on a review of the processes that currently exist in a number of Member States, as well as territories outside the EU for determining energy savings from energy efficiency measures using EEOs. From this review, best practices are identified that should be used to derive high level guidelines and procedures on how energy saving should be determined. Guidance on the monitoring and verification procedures that would need to be in place to ensure that the energy companies meet their obligations is also provided. This report also presents the approach to determining energy saving values for the main classes of energy efficiency measures in buildings (such as upgrades to heating equipment, insulation, lighting, appliances), including individual measures within each class. The importance of sampling, and appropriate sample sizes, is also discussed.
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- Publication
- Authors:
- Eoin Lees
- Dan Staniaszek
- Date:
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- Size:
- 966 kB
