Most Influential Since 1990
Lions and luminaries who led the changes in utilities.
Those ten individuals who had the greatest hand in molding the electric utility industry of 2016.
Fortnightly Magazine - June 2016
Expanding Deals, Shrinking Companies
After 20 years of consolidation, the industry looks distinctly different.
Today the focus has returned to building scale, as well as enhancing market access, financial stability, asset portfolio mix, and customer scale.
Remarkable Energy Careers: Jim Fama
We talked with Jim Fama, retiring and on his last day at EEI, about his remarkable career.
Jim Fama was the Edison Electric Institute’s vice president for energy delivery since 2002.
Has Retail Choice Delivered on its Promises?
Participation rates, customers’ bills, meaningful choice
Retail choice might have reduced retail electricity prices if it allowed customers to escape stranded costs, but that didn’t happen.
The British Electricity Model: 25 Years of Experience
Should We Follow U.K.’s Lead?
British price cap regulation quickly became the international gold standard for regulation. It looked so simple. But if the purpose was to provide a dramatically different and less expensive electricity experience, it failed.
Illinois Approach to Regulating Distribution Utility of the Future
Annual formula rate is working to stabilize distribution ratemaking.
A lot has been said of alternative ratemaking approaches. The clearest, most direct path is what has been happening in Illinois, a success by any reasonable measure for a distribution utility.
FERC Chasing the Uncatchable
Trying to fix mandatory capacity markets like trying to win at Whack-A-Mole, Part II
The proposals do not mandate participation in mandatory auction markets, much less try to set artificial floors on seller bids.
Chasing the Uncatchable
Why trying to fix mandatory capacity markets is like trying to win a game of Whack-A-Mole (Parts I & II)
FERC has little to show for more than a decade of tinkering with mandatory capacity markets.
Tax Implications of NEM Successor Policies
Federal income tax treatment has nothing to do with pricing sale of electricity to utility or customer.
Advocates for net metering argue that if the electricity delivered by the customer to the utility is credited at the full retail rate, the amount is not taxable, but if credited at less than the full retail rate, such as under a feed-in tariff or a value of solar tariff, the IRS might count the credited amount as taxable income. A tax expert fills us in on the other side of the story.
Community Solar: States Are Testing Designs While Driving Forward
Minnesota, Oregon, New York case studies
Minnesota, Oregon and New York are certainly not alone in testing shared solar models. But the developments in each state in spring 2016 should shed light on the ability to deliver on the promise of community solar.