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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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April 4, 2024
A New Chapter of Growth for RAP
- Regulatory Assistance Project
The Regulatory Assistance Project is beginning a new chapter of growth and thought leadership as we continue bringing clarity to the complexity of the clean energy transition. After thoughtful discussions between Richard Sedano and the RAP board of directors, Sedano… View Summary +
May 9, 2024
Cold-Climate Heat Pumps Pass the Ultimate Test: a Maine Winter
Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat, making them an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. In 2019, the state of Maine made residential heat pumps a core piece of its climate strategy and set a goal… View Summary +
April 15, 2024
Risky Reliability: Will Regulators Address the Price Risk of the Next Generation of Gas Power Plants?
Thanks to an increase in manufacturing development, electricity demand is rising faster than expected in the Southeast. As a result, Duke, Georgia Power and TVA are asking their regulators to approve a series of new gas-fired generators using reliability and… View Summary +
April 11, 2024
The History of Heat Pumps: Technology Advances to Meet the Cold-Climate Challenge
- Vivian Cox
Heat pumps — all-electric, super-efficient temperature control appliances that can both heat and cool indoor spaces — are a key to decarbonizing heating, especially as the grid is served increasingly by carbon-free resources. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the… View Summary +
March 11, 2024
What is a feasible pathway to full building sector decarbonisation for China?
Our global team at RAP spends a lot of time working on the deep details of building sector energy policy and regulation, grappling with the next policymaking steps in various places around the world. To calibrate our efforts and to… View Summary +
February 29, 2024
Addressing the Problem: Controlling Your Water Heater for Consumer Savings and Load Flexibility
In early January, I sat in my apartment as the winter’s first true cold snap ripped through Montana. It was negative 10 degrees out, with wind chills pushing temperatures even lower. I shivered at the idea of getting my next… View Summary +
February 1, 2024
Will price cannibalisation kill the market for wind and solar? Another conversation with Dominic Scott’s inner teenage sceptic
Not to be out done by Monika and Bram, Dominic Scott has another chat with his inner teenage self. This time on the topic of whether the rollout of renewables will eat itself. (For more on this topic, please see our … View Summary +
January 23, 2024
Making contracts for difference smart: Conversations with Dominic Scott’s inner teenage sceptic
In response to stomach-churning increases in electricity prices of 2022, prompted by the invasion of Ukraine and issues with the French nuclear power fleet, European institutions have been devising reforms to put consumers on a more solid footing. One of… View Summary +
December 21, 2023
Boiler alert: Predicting boiler breakdowns benefits households and reduces harmful emissions
Policymakers can provide stronger tools to avoid households becoming locked into new gas boiler systems We do not get to choose when our boiler breaks down. It could be at the start of the weekend, when a houseful of relatives… View Summary +
December 20, 2023
China’s coal power capacity payment policy: What it means and what’s next
The possibility of establishing a new capacity payment for power plants has been under debate in China for years. If well-designed and open to competing clean-energy resources, a capacity payment mechanism could be a workable part of a broad power… View Summary +
December 15, 2023
Getting contracts for difference right: Conversations with Monika Morawiecka’s inner teenage sceptic
The fossil gas price rollercoaster witnessed over the last couple of years has underlined the need to get renewables deployed at breakneck speed. At the same time we need tools to protect consumers from big price hikes. Well-designed, two-sided contracts… View Summary +