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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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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 +
July 29, 2021
Lapping the Field: A Model Approach to Managing EV Adoption in Connecticut
- David Littell ,
- Donna Brutkoski
Sales growth of plug-in vehicles well outpaced the auto industry as a whole over the first half of 2021 — just another piece of evidence that utilities and regulators must move quickly and thoughtfully to meet the fast-increasing demand… 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 +
June 23, 2021
How the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive risks destroying Europe’s forests
In meeting their 2020 renewable energy targets, EU Member States have overseen large increases in renewable power. But this has been accompanied by a less welcome development: a near doubling in the amount of energy derived from solid biomass, which… View Summary +
June 3, 2021
Rugby, and the art of regulating energy in times of uncertainty
Here’s an analogy you weren’t expecting: Regulating energy is, surprisingly, much like regulating the sport of rugby. Regulators in both areas contend with challenges from a number of fronts. Rugby “regulators” have had to, over time, adapt the game to… View Summary +
May 21, 2021
How Electrifying Trucks Can Help Roadside Neighborhoods Breathe Easier
We know that electrifying trucks, as we wrote last month, can reduce significant amounts of air pollution; it can also have significant health benefits, particularly for frontline communities. Analysis by Alexander Meitiv and Ann Xu for Texas A&M’s… View Summary +
May 8, 2021
Building insulation: Is hydrogen our get out of jail free card?
In the board game Monopoly, an important feature is the ‘get out of jail free’ card, which allows players who end up in jail to avoid paying a fine to get out. In recent months, gas industry representatives have… View Summary +
April 27, 2021
Sweetening the deal for heat decarbonisation
Many governments recognise the link between sugar consumption, obesity and diabetes. As a result, sugar taxes are now in place in more than 50 jurisdictions, including nine European countries. The UK and Ireland introduced modest sugary drinks taxes in… View Summary +
April 22, 2021
How to get from a cottage industry to a million heat pumps a year
- Jan Rosenow ,
- Pedro Guertler ,
- Richard Lowes
The UK has made incredible strides in decarbonising its power system beyond what many thought was possible. Carbon emissions were at a record low over the recent Easter weekend. While heat pumps have been seen as a strategically important sustainable… View Summary +