EnerKnol Blog - Company News and Stories from our Team

Dec112018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Time-Based Rates Pick Up Pace as Grid Modernization Efforts Rise

The move towards time-varying rates is on the rise as electric utilities seek rate designs that better align with the changing energy landscape. Utilities are increasingly experimenting with time-of-use rates (TOU) – which price electricity higher when peak demand drives up system costs –as customer-sited generation eats into revenues needed to maintain the grid and amid a widening disparity between average and peak demand.

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December 11, 2018

Dec42018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Utilities Seek Demand Charges as States Tussle with Net Metering Policies

The proliferation of customer-sited generation has prompted utilities to push for demand charges – a fee based on a customer’s peak consumption during a billing period – to recover fixed costs and address cross-subsidies. Utilities face the conundrum of losing revenue as customers installing distributed generation, such as rooftop solar, rely less on the utility for power needs while also shifting costs to other customers. Solar advocates argue that these fees impact customers’ ability to control their bill, potentially wiping out the incentive to install solar.

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December 4, 2018

Nov202018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Rapid EV Growth Prompts Focus on Rate Design for Charging Services

The continued growth in electric vehicle (EV) adoption has led state regulators to pay more attention to business models and rate designs that facilitate wider availability of charging infrastructure. Most recently, Pennsylvania took a big step towards innovative and dynamic pricing by clarifying that third party EV charging is not considered resale or redistribution of power. California is considering a utility proposal to replace demand charges with new subscription pricing, allowing customers to select the required amount of power for their stations. New York is analyzing the characteristics of charging systems to foster EV participation as a distributed resource. Iowa is examining business models for EV charging, while Illinois is exploring rate structures and charging practices to guide efficient integration of electric vehicles.

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November 20, 2018

Nov62018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Ohio Seeks to Modernize Grid via Electric Vehicles, Non-wires Alternatives, and Data Accessibility

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio established the PowerForward Collaborative, a utility workgroup charged with monitoring the marketplace to propel the state along its roadmap of grid modernization. The collaborative will examine issues related to electric vehicles and deployment of non-wires alternatives. In addition, its two workgroups will consider integrated distribution planning and data access issues associated with grid modernization. The PowerForward roadmap aims to create a regulatory paradigm that will allow innovation to reach all customers. The plan envisions the modern grid as an open-access platform that helps applications interface seamlessly as they evolve and a marketplace that advances organically, allowing customers to buy innovative products and services from entities of their choice.

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November 6, 2018

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EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Time-Based Rates Pick Up Pace as Grid Modernization Efforts Rise

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Utilities Seek Demand Charges as States Tussle with Net Metering Policies

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Rapid EV Growth Prompts Focus on Rate Design for Charging Services

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Ohio Seeks to Modernize Grid via Electric Vehicles, Non-wires Alternatives, and Data Accessibility