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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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When Utility Gas Affiliates Play by Monopoly Rules, Consumers Are Likely to Lose
Can monopolies with market power send business to other regulated monopolies? Can one monopoly create a “need” for which ratepayers will be charged by another related monopoly? As it stands right now, the answer to both these questions is yes. View Summary +
Leveling the Playing Field for Storage Resources in China’s Electricity Markets: A View from the U.S.
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 +
Energy Efficiency 2.0: New Questions, Same Answer
One of RAP’s longtime mantras is: “Efficiency is the answer. What’s the question?” We’ve demonstrated that energy efficiency provides a “layer cake” of multiple benefits, that it could help us meet almost a third of power system demand… View Summary +
As Reliable as Your Morning Coffee: Why Do We Go Overboard on Generation Resource Adequacy?
On a recent Tuesday morning, we had a blackout here in Key West. Five Brothers Grocery, the best Cuban coffee shop in town, is just around the corner, and owner Heriberto “Pepe” Paez was out of the café con leche… View Summary +
Calming Chicken Little: An EV Grid Tale Without the Scary Ending
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 +
Reflections on 2017: Key Trends Shaping the Power Sector
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 +
Across the Pond, but in the Same Boat: The 2017 California–Germany Bilateral Energy Conference
Germany and California hold the distinctions on their respective continents of being first movers in decarbonization policy. Both have aggressively pursued power sector decarbonization with ambitious renewable energy policies, and both have now set their sights on decarbonizing the building… View Summary +
How Do You Know If “The Price Is Right” for Community Solar Programs?
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 +
Excess Rooftop Solar Generation, A Source of Help for Neighbors
It seems that almost overnight, huge numbers of American electricity consumers have become electricity producers, mostly via their rooftop solar systems. Today, these Americans aren’t just pulling electrons from the grid, they are adding to the supply of… View Summary +
For Climate Progress, Solutions Sprout from Cities, States
At this past summer’s meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), I served on a panel of experts discussing what might happen to America’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the wake of the Trump administration’s… View Summary +
