6 item(s) were returned.
Lead Communications Consultant
Duke Energy
The role of natural gas in a clean energy future has been widely debated due to concerns over life-cycle carbon emissions and perceptions that relying on natural gas as a “bridge fuel” is short-sighted and reduces investment in clean energy. A study published in the journal Science concluded methane leaks from the production and piping of natural gas were underestimated and could be large enough to undermine the carbon reduction benefits compared to coal. Recent utility developments have highlighted the competition between renewables and natural gas: Faced with a capacity shortage as a result of the retirement of the 2,200… [more]
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About 85% of Texas residents purchase their electricity in a deregulated, competitive market, while the electric rates in a few major metropolitan areas (Austin, San Antonio) are regulated by the State. Residential electricity prices in Texas’ deregulated market dipped below the national average price for power in 2012, according to a recent report by the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power (TCAP), but deregulated prices still remain significantly higher than prices in the regulated areas of Texas. According to a post on Bitcoin Motion, the Texas electric deregulation law, adopted in 1999, gives consumers in most areas of Texas the ability… [more]
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Principal
Brinch Consulting
Changes in the electric power industry are well underway in many states across the U.S. As a result of numerous drivers – including the need to address climate change, natural gas prices, retiring coal plants, the pace of grid modernization – many electric utilities are changing the way they interact with their customers and considering how to adapt their business and planning models. Third party vendors are marketing new energy services (view site to know more about the marketing firm that is helping them) and regulators, legislators, and consumer advocates are evaluating the existing policy landscape to consider ways to… [more]
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Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst
California Public Utilities Commission
The state of California is faced with the challenge of reaching its carbon emissions reduction and renewable portfolio standard goals while maintaining the safety and reliability of the electric supply and protecting the economic interests of the ratepayers. In addition to AB 32, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, the state also has a Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of 33% renewables by 2020. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and many stakeholders have been working on policies, technologies and market mechanisms to reach these goals. Managing the effect… [more]
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Last year, significant growth in natural gas production combined with low demand – due to a warm winter – caused natural gas prices to plummet below US$2 per thousand cubic feet. This benefited consumers, but forced some energy companies to abandon gas drilling programs and put significant pressure on their budgets, most notably Chesapeake Energy Corp. The decade-low prices also facilitated a transition in electric power generators from coal to gas, and in some cases nuclear to gas. However, according to EnergyWire, some analysts, like James Sullivan of Alembic Global Advisors, believe that this short-term electricity fuel transition has maxed… [more]
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KL Gates
In the State of the Union President Obama renewed his commitment to the widespread adoption of renewable power as a critical piece of America’s energy and economic future. In last year’s speech he included a proposal to have 80 percent of US electricity come from renewables by 2035. Even making incremental steps towards these goals requires better access to financing for these renewable energy projects. Energy projects, and particularly renewable energy projects, require a lot of money to build. There appear to be 3 key challenges for a renewable energy company to access capital in today’s market. (1) Low natural… [more]
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