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Incisive commentary from RAP experts
RAP experts keep their finger on the pulse of the energy sector and provide timely analysis of topics impacting stakeholders TODAY.
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November 1, 2021
It’s Time to Consider the (Non-Pipeline) Alternatives
For many years, the topic of regulation of gas distribution utilities has been far from the limelight and has not received the kind of attention that electric utility regulation attracts. But there are an increasing number of reasons to take… View Summary +
October 20, 2021
Europe’s gas decarbonisation package: Putting new wine in old wineskins?
- Megan Anderson ,
- Jan Rosenow
Putting new wine in old wineskins is a timeworn saying first mentioned in the Bible. Doing so is not a good idea we are taught: ‘the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as… View Summary +
October 14, 2021
Getting off the fossil fuel roller coaster
When the global economy picks up steam, so do commodity prices. Gas demand bouncing back to pre-Covid levels started a new upswing in the price cycle. We are seeing classic market dynamics at work: demand outstrips supply and… View Summary +
October 13, 2021
Participating in Power: A Practical Guide to Utility Resource Plans for Local Governments
- David Farnsworth ,
- Jake Duncan
To meet 21st century decarbonization and social equity priorities, utilities need to transform the way they plan power sector investments. One of the most important opportunities to encourage these changes is to become an effective participant in the development of… View Summary +
September 17, 2021
Rebalancing energy levies is a practical way to increase the electrification of heat
Every year households in the UK install about 1.7 million gas boilers. In May, the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council reported that 2021 looks to be a record year for gas boiler sales, with year-to-date sales up 41 per… View Summary +
September 3, 2021
From laggard to leader: How the UK can capitalise on the heat pump opportunity
The urgent tone of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment report, published on the ninth of August this year, shows the clear and stark need for immediate and rapid greenhouse gas emission reductions. Globally, across the EU… View Summary +
August 30, 2021
The Unsung Hero of the Climate Fight: Energy Efficiency
- Elaine Prause
It’s official: There is absolutely no time to waste, and our mission is clear. Whether or not you were surprised by the key findings from the recently released Working Group 1 contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of… View Summary +
July 21, 2021
In a Quickly Changing World, Gas Utilities and Regulators Need a Plan
- Megan Anderson
America’s favorite fictional salesman of propane and propane accessories, Hank Hill, may have said it best: “When you plan ahead, then when things happen, you’re prepared.” Changes in the energy sector have big ramifications for the way utilities… View Summary +
July 21, 2021
Electrification: Using more to emit less
Estimating the emissions savings associated with electrification is complex. A number of analysts have made admirable attempts to appraise emissions savings resulting from a shift to electric vehicles (EVs) from internal combustion engine vehicles or to electric heat pumps from… View Summary +
June 15, 2021
Reliability is a challenge but the opportunities are endless
- Rasika Athawale
Distribution companies (discoms) are under increased pressure to begin maintaining an uninterrupted supply of electricity. In her recent annual budget speech, India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman noted that the discoms’ “monopoly behaviour” is a deterrent to the country’s economic growth. View Summary +