Three trends in the power sector are converging to drive rapid and unprecedented change. State and utility climate goals are driving significant investment in clean energy. Fossil-fueled generation is aging and retiring at the same time that renewable energy and storage are increasing in efficiency and declining in cost. And increased electrification of end uses,…
Two keen observers of the power sector, Jigar Shah and Cheryl LaFleur, have noted that the responses to the rotating power outages in California on August 14 and 15 became a Rorschach test of individual preexisting biases. Before many facts were known, a favorite villain was chosen and a conclusion drawn: too much solar, not…
Germany and California hold the distinctions on their respective continents of being first movers in decarbonization policy. Both have aggressively pursued power sector decarbonization with ambitious renewable energy policies, and both have now set their sights on decarbonizing the building and transport sectors. While they have differences, their implementation aspirations are strikingly similar. In recognition…
Natural gas is an important part of our low-carbon future, but finding the “sweet spot” for gas investment is not easy. Too much investment in gas pipeline infrastructure and gas generation is risky. Gas pipeline and generation investments are long lived—30 to 50 years, or even more—so when we invest in gas, we are making…
Saving money for electricity consumers in the Western states seems like it should be easy. Department of Energy researchers like Brendan Kirby, Michael Milligan, Kevin Porter, Debra Lew, Brian Parsons, and Lori Bird have been showing us for more than ten years how Western electricity consumers could save money by working together. The measures they…
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