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Residential Solar's Share in September 2016 by State

Residential solar’s share of total generation in September was 0.3% nationally, but 2.6% in California, 0.8% in other five states, 0.1% elsewhere.

The Energy Department reported that residential solar generated 981 thousand megawatt-hours of electricity in September. Let's see what was its share of total electric generation, nationally and in key states.

We add together utility scale and distributed generation from all sectors including the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Total generation in September was 353,484 thousand megawatt-hours.

So, nationally, residential solar's share of total generation was 0.3 percent.

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When Water Meets Energy

Each essential. Each dependent on the other.

Water depends on energy and energy depends on water, creating opportunities for synergies and efficiencies.
Byline: 

Susan N. Story

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Electric Rates Losing Ground to the CPI

December CPI up 0.7 percent, while electric rates down 1.2 percent

The Labor Department reported last week the Consumer Price Index, the CPI, for December 2015. 

The CPI for all goods and services increased 0.7 percent during the twelve months through December. That's a low rate of inflation. The CPI for electricity specifically decreased 1.2 percent during the same twelve months. That's a medium rate of deflation.

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How They Thought About Electricity

Three books from the thirties and forties remind us about how precious was the arrival of electricity

Engineering and Invention, 1934

You will see that this house everywhere is generously supplied with these outlets.  They give life to a variety of electric devices, and make it possible for them to be used wherever and whenever they are needed.  They are the source of much pleasure and convenience.

But today, with the electricity cut off, they might as well not exist...

If we listen to the talk of the people we shall hear them say over and over again: "Never did we realize before that electricity played such an important part in our lives."  

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Bernie, Hillary Debate Climate Change Plans

In March 6th Democratic debate, the candidates clashed over climate change plans.

Continuing from yesterday's column. You might find of interest this excerpt of the March 6th Democratic debate.

The presidential candidates finished their food fight over fracking. Then they clashed over climate change plans: 

CNN's Anderson Cooper: Senator Sanders ... there are a number of Democratic governors in many states who say that fracking can be done safely. And that it's helping their economies. Are they wrong?  

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Even More on New Consumer Survey on Electric Bills

Friday’s data release from Labor Dept.: what are similar expenses to electric bills for the average household?

This week's columns have analyzed the brand new Labor Department data on how much American households spent on everything during the year ending June 2015, including electricity.

The semi-annual Consumer Expenditure Survey is the source for understanding Americans' electric bills by region, income, age, urban/rural, etc. The government actually asks many thousands of households each quarter to track every single purchase. The credibility and detail, especially through mining the micro-data, is unequalled. 

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Your June Issue is Must-Read

Flaherty, Fama, Hyman, Kirsch, Morey, Jensen, Hemphill, Patterson, Reiter, and also Orson Welles and Pete Townshend.

Tom Flaherty, top expert on utility mergers, on the dramatic consolidation that’s taken place and still coming. In your June issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly. Must-read.

Jim Fama, industry leader on cybersecurity. His thoughts on his last day as Edison Electric Institute vice president for transmission and distribution, with a very active retirement ahead. Also in the June issue, also must-read. 

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Man of the Year Founds PUR, Ultimately PUF

Great American, Owen Young, founded GE, RCA, NBC, and Public Utilities Reports as well

While Owen Young was chairman of General Electric, GE, he founded and chaired the Radio Corporation of America, RCA. So he headed the leading company in two of the country's top industries, electricity and communications. 

Incidentally, he also helped found the National Broadcasting Company, NBC. And, as we'll touch on below, he helped found Public Utilities Reports, the publisher of Public Utilities Fortnightly.

But Time magazine named him Man of the Year in 1930 for something else. 

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Where are Renewables? Where are People?

Utility scale wind in Texas alone produced eight times more power than all the residential solar in the U.S.

Renewables generated 121.1 million megawatt-hours in the first four months of the year, per the latest Energy Department data. 

That is, in vogue renewables. Excluded are out of vogue renewables: hydro and nuclear.

Utility scale solar generated 9.7 million megawatt-hours. Distributed solar generated 4.6 million.

Of the distributed solar number, 2.4 million was residential solar, 1.8 million was commercial, and 0.4 was industrial.

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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I'm in Love with My Utility Pole

Japan’s audiophiles install their own utility poles to hear Queen better

Did you read August 14's Wall Street Journal article on Japan's audiophiles? They're installing their own utility poles to hear more clearly Queen's "I'm in Love with My Car" and other favorite tunes. (Wall Street Journal, Juro Osawa, "A Gift for Music Lovers Who Have It All: A Personal Utility Pole," August 14, 2016.)

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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