Massachusetts

Becoming Customer-Centric

Two utilities embrace technology and innovation.

Today the rise of customer-centric technology and innovation has created a whole new set of challenges. Advances have occurred in energy efficiency, demand response, distributed solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles, as well as smart grid infrastructure and analytics. Electric utilities have two basic choices: react to the agendas of the special interests or chart a path forward to create the most value for stakeholders and customers.
Byline: 

Matt Mooren, David Cherney, and David Groarke

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Distribution Optimization: Ready for Takeoff

Part 2: Key choices on the way forward.

Integrated Distribution Planning (IDP) – much like its bulk power system cousin, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) – provides a useful starting point for regulators and utilities to begin thinking about how to optimize the distribution system.
Byline: 

Sonia Aggarwal, Robbie Orvis and Michael O’Boyle

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Gas Pipelines for New England

A consumer model that compounds public benefits.

Natural gas used for electric generation is running headfirst into the lack of sufficient pipeline capacity. The magnitude of these changes demands a fresh look at business practices, especially in New England, which is suffering while neighboring regions benefit from the Marcellus Shale bonanza.
Byline: 

Ronald C. DeCurzio

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Our Nuclear Lifeline

Learning from the tragedy of Vermont Yankee.

Learning from the tragedy of Vermont Yankee. Can merchant nuclear operators compete in the market place with cheap natural gas and subsidized renewables?
Byline: 

Judd Gregg

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Finding Common Ground on Energy Efficiency

Policy recommendations for utilities and regulators.

It’s the downright cheapest way of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it’s mired from state to state in battles over definitions, principles, and parameters. Herein a collection of recommended policy positions to break the impasse over energy efficiency.
Byline: 

M. Sami Khawaja, Hossein Haeri, and Brian Hedman

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Calpine Completes Purchase of Fore River Energy Center for $530M

Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-11-11 12:48

Calpine completed the acquisition of Fore River Energy Center, a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant located in North Weymouth, Massachusetts. Calpine purchased the 809-MW plant from Exelon for $530 million plus adjustments, or approximately $655 per kW. Built in 2003, the Fore River Energy Center features two combustion turbines, two heat recovery steam generators and one steam turbine.

Risk Holds Sway

Interest rates not always controlling for return on equity. 

(November 2014) Our annual survey of rates of return on common equity authorized by state public utility commissions in recent rate cases for electric and gas retail distribution utilities.
Byline: 

Phillip S. Cross

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Unleashing Energy Efficiency

The Best Way to Comply with EPA’s Clean Power Plan

A framework for measuring the resource value of energy efficiency – touted as the best way for states to comply with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.
Byline: 

Tim Woolf, Erin Malone, Chris Neme, and Robin LeBaron

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Triggering & Tailoring

What the Supreme Court said, and didn’t.

Justice Scalia saw the need for tailoring as proof that EPA’s Triggering Rule was mistaken.
Byline: 

Bruce W. Radford

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The Politics of Carbon

Supreme Court may ultimately clarify EPA’s authority under Clean Power Plan.

The Supreme Court questions federal agency authority over greenhouse gas emissions in the recent case of Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA.
Byline: 

Ken Silverstein

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