Renewables

Seeking Answers Down Under

Australian Fact-Finding Trip

For many utilities in Australia, a 25% solar penetration rate is now business as usual. But utilities have also missed opportunities to shape policy on key grid modernization initiatives, such as the rollout of smart or advanced meters.

Envisioning the Energy Future

EPRI Podcast: Key Is Integrated Resource Planning

Flexibility, electrification, distributed solar, and smart inverters are familiar terms in today's utility environment, but they are of particular relevance to integrated resource planners. EPRI's Mark McGranaghan, Vice President of Distribution and Energy Utilization, touched on these topics, and a few more, in our latest EPRI Unplugged conversation.

Renewable Portfolio Standards: Changing the Industry

Updates and Forecast for 2017

Since 1983, renewable portfolio standards have been enacted in 29 states, with 8 others setting different benchmarks. In addition to increasing renewable energy generation in states that have adopted these standards, the standards have driven renewable energy development in states without them.

Energy Future in Ohio Corn Fields

Village of Minster, Ohio

The real significance and impact of the Minster project lies in the story behind it. It’s the town’s remarkable ability to complete a privately financed solar-plus-storage installation. The leaders have flown under the radar in a state known as one of the least friendly to renewable energy in the nation.

Response to Brown Re: Net Metering

A response to the letter to the editor by Ashley Brown in our February 2016 issue.

Is rooftop solar more like an independent power producer, subject to societal regulation and policy, such as wholesale-level regulation or retail-level resource planning? Or is the electricity that is produced a private consumer good, immune from regulation, policy, and planning?

Musk and Me

I signed up for a free quote on line.

With all the talk of the “existential threat” to traditional utilities from solar and other disruptive technologies (and the blowback against net metering in various states), I thought I’d check out SolarCity first hand.

New Regulatory Paradigm Needed Now

The time is now for establishing concrete rules, roles and responsibilities for utilities and other participants.

Driven by policy directives over which utilities have little control, DERs will remain both a threat and opportunity until regulators agree on a new paradigm to support distributed energy resources.