In recent years, fuel taxes and other funding mechanisms have not kept pace with the increasing costs of building and maintaining transportation infrastructure. Improved overall vehicle fuel efficiency has reduced fuel tax revenues. The growing number of electric vehicles on the road is beginning to contribute to this challenge. Some states, perceiving that EV owners…

If the video is not visible, please accept all cookies to enable the player. By 2030, approximately 10 million battery electric vehicles and 18 million plug-in hybrids are expected to be on European roads. As the number of electric vehicles grows, policymakers can unlock extensive value for all consumers, the grid and the environment —…

Die Potenziale privater Photovoltaik werden bürokratisch ausgebremst: Schon wer einem einzigen Mieter Strom liefert, hat die Pflichten eines großen Versorgers. Wir diskutieren den Abbau dieser Hürden. Großes Potenzial für PV-Prosumer-Anlagen bisher ungenutzt Privathaushalte können im Zuge der Energiewende zu Prosumern werden, die Strom auch selbst erzeugen. Das Potenzial für Prosumer-Anlagen auf Eigenheimen und kleineren Mehrfamilienhäusern…

The New England – Germany Energy Transition Forum will take place on May 16th, 2019, at Harvard Law School, courtesy of the Environmental and Energy Law Program. The forum offers an opportunity for officials from government, industry and academia to discuss shared energy challenges, pursue urgent action on climate change mitigation, integrate lessons learned in…

Changes in today’s power system, such as increasing levels of intermittent renewable energy sources, demand response, and electric vehicles, are creating both exciting opportunities and challenges for regulators and system operators. The role of the consumer is also evolving from a passive role to that of an active participant with growing expectations about how and…

Grid operators have historically forecast demand and scheduled generation to meet that demand. But new technologies allow us to use flexible renewable resources and flexible load to ensure that demand and supply stay in balance. The flexibility that these technologies provide allows for a lower-cost and lower-emission power sector. It also enables the cost-effective integration…

U.S. power markets offer a range of environments in which demand response has evolved. Recent U.S. experience is best understood in the context of market fundamentals. While there have been notable successes, the transition to a low-carbon power sector is transforming historical paradigms, including the role of demand response. Traditionally, demand response was principally a…

Space heating is an important opportunity for beneficial electrification—but the types of opportunities vary significantly by region, building type, and policy landscape. RAP’s November 2018 paper on this topic analyzes these opportunities, and it offers guidance on how regulators can evaluate and implement policies and programs to electrify space heating. In a webinar on November…

RAP and the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) formally released our edited volume on the political economy of India’s state power sectors, Mapping Power, on 17 September 2018. This book is the culmination of a two-year effort researching the power sectors in 15 Indian states. Electricity is critical to enabling India’s economic growth and providing a better…

If the video is not visible, please accept all cookies to enable the player. Implemented properly, the electrification of end uses currently powered by fossil fuels can provide significant benefits—lowering consumer energy bills, helping utilities better manage the grid, and reducing emissions. Implemented in a policy vacuum, however, electrification could simply increase energy usage, potentially increasing…