Fortnightly Magazine - March 2016

Electricity's Capacity Factor, a Problem?

Electric infrastructure is used half the time on average. Is this a problem requiring rapid radical reform?

Some of you take the subway to work. What’s the capacity factor of the subway system? Our electric grid provides enormous value to its customers, with a combination of infrastructure and workforces with varying capacity factors.

Reply to Ahmad Faruqui Re: Time-Varying Rates

A response to Dr. Faruqui’s insights regarding time-varying rates and his commentary on the Fortnightly article, “Action by Choice.”

Our goal is not to maximize participation in time-varying rates, but to maximize the combination of load shifting and customer satisfaction for all.

The Future of Retail Electricity Competition in Pennsylvania

Almost all large customers shop, but a majority of small customers remain on utility default service, which is regulated and relatively stable.

Given the polar vortex and data suggesting shopping customers pay more than those on regulated default service, the primary focus should be on consumer protection.

FERC Revises Market-Based Rate Procedures

Order 816 indicates the commission is scrutinizing the underlying calculations of market power analyses.

This revision could have significant impact on market power analyses of certain franchised utilities and affiliated MBR entities.

Harbinger or Anomaly?

As it becomes more routine for developers to offer cost containment commitments, it will become increasingly difficult for RTOs to ignore the cost impact of proposals.

Are recent transmission developer selections based on cost containment a harbinger of the future or just an anomaly?

Utility Streetlighting Retrofits

Getting to “yes” with cities and neighborhoods.

Xcel Energy Colorado envisioned a straightforward plan: Street by street, city by city, in a logical progression over five years, they would replace High-Pressure Sodium streetlights with Light-Emitting Diode lamps. But that’s not what happened.
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