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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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Big Thinking from a Small State
Once in a while, it can be interesting to take a deep look at what one state is doing in the power sector reform arena. New York, California, and others get a lot of attention. But the small state of… View Summary +
Utility “Shadow Billing” Can Shed Light on Rate Options
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… 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 +
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 +
Fuel-Switching: We Just Did This in 1990, So Why Are We Doing It Again?
RAP senior advisor Jim Lazar tells a story about doing a cost and environmental analysis on behalf of the Association of Northwest Gas Utilities in 1990, in which he compared space and water heating run on natural-gas-generated electricity to… View Summary +
Brewing Up the Regulation of the Future
The regulatory system that governs U.S. electric utilities is 130 years old—while our power grid is rapidly modernizing. Utility regulators need a tool that can facilitate reform to keep pace with this change. One tool they are increasingly exploring: performance-based… View Summary +
Smart Grid and Community Benefits—with No Rate Increase? How Burbank Made it Happen
Burbank Water and Power (BWP) is a 50,000-customer, community-owned municipal utility in the Los Angeles area. BWP has implemented an advanced smart grid network, and did so with no rate increase to consumers. How did they do this?… View Summary +
EVs’ Rise Doesn’t Need to be Auto Dealers’ Demise
Some argue that the growth of electric vehicles will be the end of auto dealerships. Car dealers today derive significant revenues by providing parts and service for the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles they sell. If EVs, with their… View Summary +
Extra Credit: Maximizing the Benefits of Solar in Schools
While across the country America’s schools have been shuttered this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sun continues to shine. More than 1,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity from nearly 5,500 K-12 school buildings continues to generate… View Summary +
A Next-Generation Approach to Energy Resource Procurement
Three trends in the power sector are converging to drive rapid and unprecedented change. State and utility climate goals are driving significant investment in clean energy. Fossil-fueled generation is aging and retiring at the same time that renewable energy and… View Summary +
