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Why Are We Still Arguing About NEM?

Competitive Market Will Take Care of Next Burning Issue

I do not understand why we are still distracted by Net Energy Metering (NEM). It worked well when we had not-so-smart meters and were trying to encourage rooftop solar penetration. People in general and students of regulation in particular are left confused and can easily find some support for both sides. This results in conflicts and proposed compromises that keep the debate going at full tilt. Two things are missing or mostly overlooked in all this regulatory discourse.
Byline: 

Charles Cicchetti

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Letter: Response to Cicchetti Re: Residential Demand Charges

A response to the article by Charles Cicchetti in our December 2016 issue

Charles Cicchetti's December 2016 article asserts TOU rates are a preferable alternative to demand charges for distributed energy resources (DER) customers. But TOU rates are not enough to maximize the benefits of DER.
Byline: 

Brent Gale

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Is It Finally Time to Embrace Multiyear Rate Plans?

Customers and Utilities Benefit

In the U.S., electric utilities are the major supporter of MRPs. In other countries, the government has been a major proponent. Countries such as Australia, Canada and Great Britain have relied heavily on MRPs, often citing the deficiencies of traditional rate-of-return ratemaking.
Byline: 

Ken Costello

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What is the Right Rate Design?

Fairness Is In the Eye of the Beholder

Fairness has conflicting meanings for customers, utilities, power generators, DER providers, and others. Regulators and policymakers must understand their goal should not be the perfect rate design; it doesn't exist.
Byline: 

Tanuj Deora

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The Impact of Time-of-Use Rates in Ontario

TOU Shows Tangible Results

With the mass rollout of smart meters, the idea of default TOU rates is gaining traction. This article presents the load shifting and conservation impacts of TOU rates on residential electricity use in Ontario from their inception in 2009 through to the end of 2014.
Byline: 

Neil Lessem, Ahmad Faruqui, Sanem Sergici and Dean Mountain

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Are We Paying Too Much for Residential Solar?

Many Voters Unaware of Costs

The typical solar customer in Southern California could recover their investment in seven years. After which, the facility would provide essentially free electricity for at least 18 more years. If this sounds too good to be true, it is. Those generous returns are paid for by federal taxpayers and California residential customers that lack rooftop solar.
Byline: 

By Robert Borlick

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Residential Demand Charges: Bad Choice

Time-of-Use is a Better Reform

Utilities go too far in their proposals to recover capacity costs from rooftop solar customers who self-generate. The affirmative case for Time-of-Use tariffs that reflect marginal costs is strong for all customers.
Byline: 

Charles Cicchetti

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Rethinking Rationale for Net Metering

Quantifying Subsidy from Non-Solar to Solar Customers

A thought-provoking call for fact- and principle-based policy on the controversial net metering matter. From three respected co-authors from diverse backgrounds.
Byline: 

Barbara Alexander, Ashley Brown, and Ahmad Faruqui

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Response to Cicchetti Re: Net Metering

A response to the letter by Charles Cicchetti in our April 2016 issue, which was a response to the letter by Ashley Brown in our February 2016 issue.

As Ashley Brown correctly stated in his letter, large-scale solar projects produce electricity at roughly half the cost of that produced by rooftop solar. Charlie states that customers installing rooftop solar are: “… paying to reduce dependence on greenhouse gases and to expand societal benefits ....” Not exactly.
Byline: 

Robert Borlick

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