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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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June 27, 2018
The carbon floor price—a hammer in need of a toolbox
“If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail,” goes the saying. In the context of climate policy, the leading hammer is carbon pricing. To many economists and carbon market enthusiasts, putting a price on carbon… View Summary +
April 16, 2018
Keys to integrating electric vehicles already in hand
- Christos Kolokathis ,
- Michael Hogan
Electricity distribution networks in Europe run at well below their full potential, finds a new study from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). The findings show that the unused network capacity could be utilised for charging electric vehicles with little or… View Summary +
March 20, 2018
Leveling the Playing Field for Storage Resources in China’s Electricity Markets: A View from the U.S.
- Max Dupuy ,
- Kevin Porter
In February, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized a historic rule on participation of storage resources in the “ISO/RTO” wholesale electricity markets. ISO/RTO markets cover about two-thirds of the United States and are roughly analogous to the… View Summary +
February 20, 2018
Regional cooperation and integrated energy markets at risk
- Christos Kolokathis ,
- Philip Baker
A much more interconnected European energy market, ensuring regional cooperation and cutting out waste, makes so much sense for consumers, for security of supply, and for decarbonisation. When the European Commission first outlined its vision for a genuine Energy Union… View Summary +
January 30, 2018
Calming Chicken Little: An EV Grid Tale Without the Scary Ending
- Jim Lazar
When kids hear the fairy tale Chicken Little, they learn that a confused little bird is hit on the head with an acorn and concludes the sky is falling. It then manages to convince a handful of other animals of… View Summary +
January 19, 2018
Time for German network operators to come clean about tariffs
Network tariffs are an important part of energy costs for consumers, yet, surprisingly, the way these fees are established in Germany is completely opaque, writes Andreas Jahn, Berlin-based senior associate at global energy policy advisors Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). According… View Summary +
December 22, 2017
Reflections on 2017: Key Trends Shaping the Power Sector
- Jessica Shipley
Reflection comes naturally during the holiday season. As I come to the end of my first year at RAP, I am reflecting on many interesting power sector developments from 2017. I will focus on a handful here—trends that stood out… View Summary +
November 21, 2017
How Do You Know If “The Price Is Right” for Community Solar Programs?
- John Shenot
In television’s longest running game show, contestants are challenged to guess the prices of a wide variety of consumer goods. The contestant who comes closest to the actual price, without going over, is the winner. I found myself thinking about… View Summary +
October 17, 2017
The Clean Growth Strategy puts faith in energy efficiency – here’s how to do it
The UK government’s new Clean Growth Strategy gives quite a lot of priority to energy efficiency. That’s good news, write Jan Rosenow and Richard Cowart. What’s needed next is to develop the policies that actually deliver the goods. This can be… View Summary +
June 1, 2017
Proposed Electricity Directive a Step in the Right Direction for Customers, Demand Response
- Philip Baker
Explicit demand response, where aggregators enable small commercial and domestic consumers to directly participate in the wholesale power market by flexing their demand, is a vital resource in the transition to a sustainable electricity system. However, barriers to the successful… View Summary +