Article Archive

State Utility Commissioners at Ground Zero

Ken Silverstein's picture
Submitted by Ken Silverstein on Tue, 2015-05-26 13:12
At issue in this new environmental paradigm is whether the states will take the lead, or the federal government. And nowhere is that more relevant than the EPA's Clean Power Plan.

State utility commissioners in all 50 states are under a lot of stress. First, they must formulate and plan for the future of their states’ electrical grids and at the same time, keep their eyes on the developments in Washington and on the EPA whose Clean Power Plan (CPP) is the elephant in their room. It could be argued that they have a job far worse than the Maytag repairman: Instead of having nothing to do, they have everything to do. Currently, they may have the most difficult job in the US.

That Old Musk Magic

Ken Silverstein's picture
Submitted by Ken Silverstein on Mon, 2015-05-18 12:53
Plenty of people do, judging from the reaction to Elon Musk’s media event announcing “Powerwall,” a home battery system. Powerwall would join SolarCity in Elon’s double trouble for the utility industry (when he isn’t building cars and colonizing Mars).

Do you believe in magic?

Plenty of people do, judging from the reaction to Elon Musk’s media event announcing “Powerwall,” a home battery system. Powerwall would join SolarCity in Elon’s double trouble for the utility industry (when he isn’t building cars and colonizing Mars).

Enron's Lessons

Submitted by meacott on Fri, 2015-05-08 14:59
Some will stray from ethical behavior. But markets must be regulated to maintain confidence.

Enron's collapse stands perhaps as the most the indelible bankruptcy in US history - one that not only triggered a recession but also caused lawmakers and regulators alike to remake the rules by which corporations must live. A key question remains, however: Are markets today better insulated from manipulation?

It's Time for a National Debate on Fracking

Submitted by meacott on Thu, 2015-05-07 06:22
No wonder the American people are confused. The fossil fuels debate just sounds like another partisan political campaign, but the stakes are huge, with the US’s economic and environmental future may be hanging on this issue.

On April 8th, 2015, the Wall Street Journal headline read "Bloomberg Criticizes New York Fracking Ban." During his interview, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he was donating an additional $30 million to the Sierra's "anti-coal" campaign, but that he also made special provision that none of his donated money would go to the Sierra Club's parallel anti-natural gas campaign. It seems that New York State has become a battleground for fossil fuels.

A Tale of Two Technologies

Submitted by meacott on Thu, 2015-04-30 09:40
I love the story of fracking because it proves a lot of truths about how things get done. This is a tale of huge success and dismal failure, and it has a moral: Public-private partnerships can work.

It was the best of outcomes, it was the worst of outcomes.