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 will be achieved through energy efficiency measures. This is consistent with work by the Intergovernmental Pan... Read More

Could two electricity bills really be better than one? Just maybe, if the second is a “shadow bill,” provided to educate customers about alternatives to the rates they are charged. Specifically, for electricity customers interested in saving money and for utilities interested in promoting certain electricity rate designs, including time-of-use (TOU) rates,... Read More

Ohne Energieeffizienz gäbe es keine Energiewende. Die Kosten für den Umbau des Energiesystems insbesondere im Wärmebereich liefen sonst einfach aus dem Ruder. Daher hat Deutschland über die letzten Jahre systematisch viele Maßnahmen zur Steigerung der Energieeffizienz ergriffen. Allerdings reicht das momentane Tempo des Fortschritts bei Weitem nicht aus und ... Read More

作为一名曾任职于美国大气环境部门的“监管者”，我认为，中国为了实现能源和环境的宏伟目标，须在制定政策时将二者相结合。尽管任何一个“五年计划”都没有设定通往清洁空气和高效电力市场的途径，中国的决策部门还是应该把握机会提出综合的解决方案。 我最近�... Read More

For years, most utilities have operated quietly, keeping the grid humming along while providing reliable and affordable electricity. That system has served us well. Today, transformational change is sweeping through the power sector, challenging utilities to not only provide energy, but also to manage a grid where customers are generating their own electricity... Read More

We know that Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, Ikea, Kohl’s, and other big-box retailers have installed a lot of rooftop solar. They’ve mostly been doing so under net metering rules, and paying the demand charges for their net load on utilities when their individual peak demands occur. Utilities may think that they are protected in this sector by demand charges. N... Read More

As a former air regulator, I’ve come to the conclusion that China must integrate its energy and environmental policymaking in order to meet its ambitious goals in both areas. Although the path to clean air and efficient electricity markets extends beyond any particular Five-Year Plan, Chinese policymakers have several opportunities to begin integrating these so... Read More

Despite the Chinese government’s extensive efforts to improve air quality per the State Council’s “Ten Measures” Action Plan and implementation of regional air quality control measures, air pollution recently worsened in the Jing-Jin-Ji region (Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei). After months of consecutive improvement last year, air quality progress slowed and... Read More

尽管中国政府为治理空气污染竭尽全力，国务院还出台了《大气污染防治行动计划》（ 简称“大气十条”），并实施了区域空气质量控制措施，但京津冀地区空气质量的改善趋势今年一度还是出现了反复。 在去年几个月空气质量好转之后，去年秋天空气质量改善的步伐开始... Read More

Deutschland - wie auch Europa - hat sich ambitionierte Energiewendeziele gesetzt, die auf Basis eines wettbewerblichen Energiemarkts erreicht werden sollen. Bezüglich der Frage des Marktdesigns befindet sich Europa mit dem sogenannten Winterpaket sowie Deutschland mit dem „Energy-Only-Markt“ (EOM) 2.0 (plus verschiedene Reserven) weiterhin in einem Diskussio... Read More