Archive

Transforming the Appliance Market: Strategies for Lower-Emissions Heat and Hot Water

Comments Off on Transforming the Appliance Market: Strategies for Lower-Emissions Heat and Hot Water

Fossil-fueled appliances in buildings are a significant source of emissions, not only of greenhouse gases but also pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are responsible for a variety of air and water quality and health problems. In a webinar presentation, panelists from RAP, RMI, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation discussed ways to drive transformation of the appliance market to reduce emissions.

Where Do We Go From Here: Visions for a Clean Heat Standard

Comments Off on Where Do We Go From Here: Visions for a Clean Heat Standard

In a webinar discussion, panelists discussed efforts across the country to put in place clean heat standards or other mandates for reduction of emissions from thermal end uses.

Putting the Customer First: How States Can Keep Driving the Energy Transition

Comments Off on Putting the Customer First: How States Can Keep Driving the Energy Transition
In a roundtable webinar discussion, RAP staff highlighted what states can do (and are doing) on a variety of topics — from performance regulation to system planning to rate design — to navigate the energy transition with the customer’s interests always a top priority. The panel also discussed opportunities stemming from federal action.

Smart Rate Design for Distributed Energy Resources

Comments Off on Smart Rate Design for Distributed Energy Resources

​In a presentation to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ staff subcommittee on rate design, Mark LeBel discussed smart rate design principles and pathways for distributed energy resources.

 

 

Building a Next-Generation Mix of Energy Resources: Practical Perspectives

Comments Off on Building a Next-Generation Mix of Energy Resources: Practical Perspectives

In a roundtable webinar discussion, a panel of experts representing varying perspectives — a vertically integrated utility, a restructured distribution utility and a community choice aggregator — discussed what demand- and supply-side resource portfolio procurement looks like for each of them, challenges and opportunities, and what regulators can do to accelerate progress.

Participating in Power: How to Read and Respond to Integrated Resource Plans

Comments Off on Participating in Power: How to Read and Respond to Integrated Resource Plans

In a webinar presentation, Jake Duncan and Julia Eagles of the Institute of Market Transformation and Elaine Prause and John Shenot of RAP discussed how local governments and advocates can effectively engage in the process of utility integrated resource planning.

Utility Business Models and Performance-Based Regulation

Comments Off on Utility Business Models and Performance-Based Regulation

​In a presentation for the U.S. Climate Alliance, Mark LeBel explored the promise of performance-based regulation as an alternative to traditional cost-of-service regulation for utilities.

Building a Next-Generation Mix of Energy Resources: Procurement Best Practices

Comments Off on Building a Next-Generation Mix of Energy Resources: Procurement Best Practices

​In an interactive webinar presentation, panelists discussed a “next-generation” approach to utility procurement and evolving best practices, based in part on recent work done by RAP and RMI. The webinar offered recommendations on how to design clear rules for procurement processes that consider all available resources, are aligned with both utility and public-policy objectives, and result in outcomes that offer the “least regrets.​”

Under Pressure: Gas Utility Regulation for a Time of Transition

Comments Off on Under Pressure: Gas Utility Regulation for a Time of Transition

​In a webinar presentation, Megan Anderson, Max Dupuy, Mark Lebel and moderator Richard Sedano discussed how planning, energy efficiency and electrification programs, and rate-making can pave the way to a smooth transition from fossil gas to other forms of energy for end uses.

Renovating Regulation to Electrify Buildings: A Guide for the Handy Regulator

Comments Off on Renovating Regulation to Electrify Buildings: A Guide for the Handy Regulator

​In a webinar presentation, Jessica Shipley and David Farnsworth of RAP and Asa Hopkins and Kenji Takahashi of Synapse Energy Economics discussed the ways in which existing energy policies and regulatory structures can create unnecessary barriers to electrification, and detailed their recommendations for how the regulatory framework can be updated to realize the full potential of electrified, flexible, grid-integrated buildings.