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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.
Byline: 

Leonard Hyman and William Tilles

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Commercial DG: Case for Financeable Contracts

DG lenders and developers should consider standardizing a model form of energy service agreement.

Let's review factors influencing the development of distributed generation, with an emphasis on the need for financeable and deployable contracts on which DG can be financed, constructed and operated.
Byline: 

Nicholas Giannasca

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Solar Battle Lines

The fight over customer rooftops, grid funding, and net metering.

Renewable customer generation is growing and regulators should let incumbent regulated monopoly businesses and interests ahead of society and competition.
Byline: 

Charles J. Cicchetti and Jon Wellinghoff

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Piggybacking on the Grid

Why net energy metering is unfair and inefficient.

While customers may have reached a “net zero” threshold on energy, they are a large net negative on very expensive grid services.
Byline: 

Charles E. Bayless

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Grid Reform to Date

How the feds opened the supply side.

The sheer scale of growth put a ‘stake through the heart’ of the old view.
Byline: 

Sonia Aggarwal and Robbie Orvis

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Distribution Optimization: Ready for Takeoff

Part 1: How markets today are out of sync.

The time has come to consider options for optimizing distributed energy resources, with the intent of supporting a least-cost, reliable, and clean system that delivers more choice and control for customers.
Byline: 

Sonia Aggarwal and Robbie Orvis

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Rethinking Regulation

Not so Fast: Why the Electric Industry May be Heading in the Wrong Direction

Utility regulation will often display the power of special interests, which may only appeal to a narrow set of interests. Public officials need to step and serve the broader public.
Byline: 

Kenneth W. Costello

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First Wind Finalizes Agreement with Rocky Mountain Power for Largest Solar Development in Utah

Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-06-24 13:16

First Wind finalized four 20-year PPAs with Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp and part of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. As part of the PPAs, Rocky Mountain Power will buy the output of the planned 320-MW Four Brothers solar development, which includes four, separate fully permitted 80-MW project sites. Rocky Mountain Power’s purchase is made in connection with its obligation under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, and follows seven similar PURPA agreements for First Wind’s 20-MW Seven S

First Wind to Sell Power from Utah Solar Projects to Rocky Mountain Power

Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-06-10 13:08

First Wind finalized seven 20-year PPAs with Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp. As part of the purchase agreements, Rocky Mountain Power will buy the output of the planned 20-MW Seven Sisters projects under its obligation from the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA. The Seven Sisters portfolio includes seven separate solar photovoltaic projects, four of which are to be sited in Beaver County and three to be located in Iron County, Utah.