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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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March 30, 2016
Deja Vu All Over Again
Yogi Berra famously had a quote for every occasion. If asked to describe the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court’s February 9 stay of the U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), I’d bet he’d say, “… View Summary +
April 1, 2016
Lower Emissions, Costs Possible with Two-Part Pricing and Dispatch Reform in China
- Wang Xuan ,
- Fredrich (Fritz) Kahrl
China’s power sector is one of the key causes of coal consumption and pollution emissions. The Chinese government has achieved great progress in decarbonizing the power sector in the past ten years through increasing energy efficiency, installing pollution treatment equipment,… View Summary +
April 25, 2016
If Europe Wants Integrated Markets, it Should Take the Leap to Regional Grids
- Philip Baker
Europe is progressing towards an integrated, interconnected pan-European electricity market. However, the governance and regulatory arrangements that the EU has established to support this process are inadequate to the task. They are more focused on preserving the sovereignty of national… View Summary +
April 28, 2016
Energy Efficiency in the UK: Time to Get Out of Reverse Gear
In recent years across the UK, citizens, government, and the business community have all demonstrated a willingness to lead the world in the fight against climate change. So the mystery today is: Why is the UK walking away from energy… View Summary +
May 10, 2016
Carbon Markets: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
- David Littell
Neo-classical economics tells us that markets reduce costs and increase social welfare. It also teaches that pollution not properly accounted for is a classic economic externality. That is, if clean air and clear water are not properly valued, degrading… View Summary +
August 29, 2017
Energy efficiency loopholes risk to Paris Agreement
Energy efficiency is key to achieving the ambitious carbon reduction goals set out in the Paris Agreement. The International Energy Agency (IEA) created a model scenario, aligned with the Agreement, which indicates that half of global emission reductions… View Summary +
September 28, 2018
Karnataka’s power sector: History, politics of development have consequences
- Meera Sudhakar
When Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced crop loan waivers in his first budget after he came to power in May this year, there was widespread concern about how the state would finance these. Many who thought the loan waiver was… View Summary +
September 15, 2016
Is It Time to Retool Regulation for Clean Air, Clean Energy?
- Ken Colburn ,
- Christopher James
Looking at the electric power industry today brings to mind the well-known April 1970 dispatch from Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” Actually, we have several. Prominent among them is the growing permeation of environmental issues into energy… View Summary +
December 13, 2016
Retooling Regulation: Is Integrating Energy and Environmental Regulation Legal?
- Christopher James ,
- Ken Colburn
Broad state authority under the Clean Air Act means regulatory reforms would likely be permitted This is the third of RAP’s four-part series on the merits of greater integration of energy and environmental planning and regulation. The first piece… View Summary +
January 9, 2017
Beneficial Electrification: Opportunity Knocks for Utilities
- Ken Colburn
It is increasingly apparent that power sector transformation isn’t happening in the future; it’s occurring now. Already, resources are cleaner and more distributed, previously docile customers are actively seeking opportunities to save, consume, and even produce energy in new ways,… View Summary +