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Energy Policy & Legislation

The Middle Way

A Narrative Addressing the Greatest Challenge of Our Time

The electricity sector is currently stuck in a false zero sum mentality between providers, technology companies, and policymakers. In this first article of a series, we explore an alternative narrative based on three core operating principles.
Byline: 

Matt Futch and Josh Freed

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Good Ratemaking is Hard to Do

Especially in today’s politically charged environment

Trying to use ratemaking to address an increasing number of social issues intensifies the difficulty for regulators to reach a balanced outcome. Net metering stands out as economically inefficient, unfair and a regressive cross-subsidy, essentially an implicit tax on non-solar customers.
Byline: 

Kenneth W. Costello

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Electricity Market Reform in Japan

Bumpy Road Ahead

This is the first in a series of three articles related to power market reform in Japan and its implications both for Japan and globally.
Byline: 

Glenn R. George, Hans-Martin Ihle, and Miura Wataru

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Energy People: Stan Garnett

We talked with Stan Garnett, former senior exec of two utilities, the day after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.

The Brexit vote neatly frames a rather historic episode in the utility industry worldwide.
Byline: 

Stan Garnett, with Steve Mitnick

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Energy People: Jim Rogers

We talked with Jim Rogers, former CEO of Duke Energy.

Duke is now made up of five companies that existed in 1992. There are three difficult tasks in doing a successful combination. One is to negotiate it. The second, maybe the most difficult task, is actually getting the approval at both the state and federal levels. And lastly, the really hard work of combining the companies. It’s getting the cost savings as well as the revenue enhancements associated with the transaction. It is keeping the most talented people.
Byline: 

Jim Rogers, with Steve Mitnick

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Ratemaking and the Campaign Against Rooftop Solar

Rate design should balance consumer and investor interests.

Regulators should ensure that changes to rate design seek to balance consumer and utility interests. Rates that are intended to insulate utilities from economic and technological change while providing no benefits to consumers ought to be considered unjust, unreasonable, and unduly discriminatory.
Byline: 

Ari Peskoe

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Energy Company's Pipe Dream

Why $3.3 Billion Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline Was Defeated

It’s a David and Goliath story. But instead of a slingshot, David in this case fired off a stiff legal challenge to defeat the giant.
Byline: 

Vincent DeVito

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Regulators Can Win the Trifecta with Residential Demand Charges

Advanced metering and demand charges give efficient and equitable price signals to customers.

The wide deployment of smart meters gives regulatory policy-makers a rare opportunity to change residential rate design. This can be done in a way that improves economic efficiency, and utility consumer and shareholder equity. Here we provide ten questions that should be asked by policy-makers, as well as some guidance in deriving the answers.
Byline: 

Ross C. Hemphill and Kenneth W. Costello

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Order 745: A Time Bomb for Electricity Consumers

One of the worst orders FERC has ever produced

Order 745 overcompensates demand response, unduly discriminates against wholesale suppliers, sanctions and institutionally enforces the exercise of monopsony market power, and will ultimately raise electricity prices.
Byline: 

Robert Borlick

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