News

Energy Central republished this case study, originally published by Utility Dive, as the final installment in a six-part series on utility business model reform produced by Rocky Mountain Institute, America's Power Plan, and Advanced Energy Economy Institute. See excerpts below and read the entire EC post here.

In the United States... traditional cost-of-service regulation favors utility capital investment in long-lived assets rather than rewarding utilities for their performance against desired policy objectives and it discourages utilities from taking advantage of the general shift in the economy to service-based solutions provided by third parties. 

A decade ago, the United Kingdom's Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, known as Ofgem, set out on a mission to develop a new regulatory framework that would reward utilities for innovation and for meeting the changing expectations of consumers and society. The culmination of that process was the development of a framework referred to as RIIO.

Microgrid Knowledge highlights the energy storage docket before the PUCT with perspective from Suzanne Bertin who heads Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance. This follows after no action from the legislature. See excerpts below and read the entire piece here.

The Texas Public Utility Commission is expected to address a lingering question this summer: Are utilities permitted to own battery storage to provide reliability solutions — if the competitive market there is unable to do so?

 As part of its series on key players in energy and the environment, E&E News takes a look at state regulators with important influence, quoting AEE's Hannah Polikov about Ted Thomas, Chair of the Ark.PSC. Besides Thomas, E&E News staff profiles Brandon Presley, PSC Chair for Miss. and incoming NARUC President, Samuel Randazzo, Chair of Ohio's PUC, Ellen Nowak of Wisc. PSC, Ga. PSC's Jason Shaw, S.C. PSC's Tom Ervin, Ariz. Corp. Commission's Sandra Kennedy, Stephen Fischmann of N.M.'s PRC,  and RI PUC's Abigail Anthony. See excerpts below and the entire story here.

The shuttering of coal plants, an aggressive push for renewables and the proliferation of electric vehicles are creating a new energy landscape in the United States. Meet the state regulators working on the front lines.

Among those in the trenches is Brandon Presley, selected by Southeastern utility regulators to head up the nation's most powerful group of state regulators. He's also a distant cousin of Elvis Presley and is now poised to lead the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) (Greenwire, June 5). Presley, chairman of the Mississippi Public Service Commission, helped quash development on an experimental coal project in the Magnolia State...

Richard Matsui, Founder & CEO of kWh Analytics, interviewed AEE CEO Nat Kreamer for his latest #Solar100 leaders profile published by PV Magazine here. See excerpts below:

Nat Kreamer served in the Afghan War with special forces in the U.S. Navy, helped found what is now the largest residential solar company in the United States, held the position of board chair at Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and was recognized by President Obama as a “Champion of Change” for his work as a veteran in clean energy.

The Lima News published this letter to the editor urging citizens to contact Ohio state senator Matt Huffman (District 12) to weigh in against HB6 which would gut renewable and energy efficiency programs while subsidizing aging nuclear and coal plants. The author quotes Ohio AEE president Ted Ford on the impact to consumers. See excerpts of letter below and in its entirety online here.

Ohio’s House of Representatives gutted programs that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, while shoring up the aging nuclear and two coal fired plants built in 1955, claiming to reduce payment for consumers. Both nuclear and coal fired have been failing due to the country moving toward clean energy...

New report provides 21 case studies of market rules that thwart new 
technologies — some that have been corrected, many that still stand in the way 
of technology-neutral competition on price and performance

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23, 2019 — Wholesale electricity markets should be technology-neutral, allowing all resources to compete on price and performance. Many market rules are outdated, however, having been designed with older technologies in mind. Such rules can prevent new technologies from selling their services on the open market, which stifles innovation and keeps our electricity system from being modernized for higher performance.

Ohio House Energy and Natural Resource Committee adopts Sub. HB 6, a bill that creates new “electricity tax” on all Ohioans for benefit of FirstEnergy Solutions and owners of old coal plants

COLUMBUS, May 22, 2018 — Today, Ohio House Energy and Natural Resources Committee adopted, on a party line vote, substitute House Bill 6 for consideration, which would create a new “electricity tax” on all Ohioans to bankroll FirstEnergy Solutions’ failing nuclear facilities while gutting the state’s advanced energy standards and threatening the jobs of 112,000 Ohioans working in the advanced energy industry that will power Ohio in the future. A committee vote on the bill is expected tomorrow.

Politico Pro reported on FERC's decision today not to rehear arguments on Order 841 that allows energy storage providers to participate in wholesale power markets, including AEE's Jeff Dennis' reaction. See the full Politico piece here (sub. req.) and excerpts below.

FERC today declined to rehear arguments on its landmark order allowing energy storage providers to participate in wholesale power markets. Commissioners voted 3-1 to leave Order 841 in place, dismissing a request from electric cooperatives and municipal utilities to let states opt-out of letting distribution-connected storage participate in wholesale markets.