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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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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 +
What’s Next for Distributed Generation in China?
Investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is surging in China, and, although utility-scale solar continues to dominate, distributed solar is also growing rapidly. The country is estimated to have added 54 GW of solar in 2017, and distributed solar… View Summary +
On the Road to “Efficiency First” in the Energy Union – Are we there yet?
In 2015, the European Commission adopted moderating energy demand as a pillar of the Energy Union and “Efficiency First” as a guiding principle underpinning it. Last Friday, the Commission released its third State of the Energy Union. So how… 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 +
打造绿色低碳配售电行业需要政策支持
背景：配售电改革 2015年11月，中国首家增量配电网混合所有制企业取得配网经营权，负责深圳自贸区配售电及综合能源供应等业务。鼓励社会资本有序投资、运营增量配电网是电改9号文的举措。2016年10月， 国家发改委，国家能源局联合印发了关于《售电公司准入与退出管理办法》和《有序放开配电网业务管理方法》的通知，并于同年11月发布了第一批105个增量配电网试点。… 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 +
Does “Efficiency First” mean “Renewables Last”?
The European Commission’s “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package of legislation puts “Efficiency First.” Generally praised by energy efficiency advocates, this principle evokes fear in the renewable energy sector. Does Efficiency First mean that renewable energy takes the back seat?… View Summary +
The Clean Growth Strategy puts faith in energy efficiency – here’s how to do it
The UK government’s new Clean Growth Strategy gives quite a lot of priority to energy efficiency. That’s good news, write Jan Rosenow and Richard Cowart. What’s needed next is to develop the policies that actually deliver the goods. This can be… View Summary +
EU must take regionalisation of electricity markets a step further
The European Commission has proposed to set up Regional Operational Centers (ROCs), which is a welcome step in the further integration of the EU internal electricity market, writes Philip Baker of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). However, according to Baker,… View Summary +
