Power & Utilities

Policy Primer: Net Energy Metering Reforms - September 2021 Update

Policy Primer: Net Energy Metering Reforms – September 2021 Update

As the distributed solar landscape evolves, revisions and successors to net metering programs seek to ensure that the compensation rate and other and program elements avoid cost shifting to non-participating customers while supporting a value proposition for new solar customers.

Visual Primer: Reforms to PURPA Rules Influence Small Renewable Energy Development Across U.S.

Visual Primer: Reforms to PURPA Rules Influence Small Renewable Energy Development Across U.S.

Amid the growing interest in clean energy, state and federal policy changes to utility power procurement rules under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) are shaping the portfolios of small renewable power producers. PURPA, which has been a key driver of renewable generation in the U.S., sets requirements for utilities to purchase power from small independent electricity and cogeneration facilities.

Visual Primer: Grid Planning Initiatives Expand as States Prepare for Proliferation of Distributed Energy Resources

Visual Primer: Grid Planning Initiatives Expand as States Prepare for Proliferation of Distributed Energy Resources

A growing number of states are gearing up to leverage distributed energy resources (DER) to support grid operations amid clean energy and climate goals that require investments in and incentives for renewables and customer-sited generation.

Policy Primer: Competitive Retail Electricity Markets August 2021 Update

Policy Primer: Competitive Retail Electricity Markets August 2021 Update

As the retail energy marketplace evolves, state lawmakers and regulators are expanding their focus on the impacts to clean energy and long-term reliability, in addition to consumer protections and operational efficiencies.

EK Webinar Cold Weather Reliability

EnerKnol Webinar: Cold Weather Reliability

Extreme cold weather conditions were a major factor in multiple grid events that occurred over the last decade, most notably the recent mid-February Winter Storm Uri that affected the south-central U.S., causing widespread outages and forcing natural gas processing plants to shut down. The impacts of these events on electric and gas systems that were unprepared for the challenge has emphasized the need to address cold weather reliability.

EnerKnol Research PU Visual Primer Cold Weather Reliability Special Report 2021

Visual Primer: Cold Weather Reliability Standards at Forefront of Regulators’ Efforts to Prevent Weather-Induced Energy Crisis

Extreme cold weather conditions were a major factor in multiple grid events that occurred over the last decade, most notably the recent mid-February Winter Storm Uri that affected the south-central U.S., causing widespread outages and forcing natural gas processing plants to shut down. The impacts of these events on electric and gas systems that were unprepared for the challenge has emphasized the need to address cold weather reliability.

State Policy Playbook: Oregon Embarks on Ambitious Agenda to Decarbonize Power Grid by 2040

State Policy Playbook: Oregon Embarks on Ambitious Agenda to Decarbonize Power Grid by 2040

Oregon has embarked on a clean energy transition with the enactment of sweeping legislation that mandates carbon-free power by 2040, setting one of the most ambitious decarbonization timelines in the nation. The state’s carbon reduction efforts range from legislative measures to study renewable hydrogen and expand transportation electrification, to rulemaking for a climate protection plan, and investigation into resource adequacy.

Visual Primer: Growth of Intermittent Generation Expands Role of Demand Response in Grid Planning

Visual Primer: Growth of Intermittent Generation Expands Role of Demand Response in Grid Planning

Demand response (DR) portfolios of electric utilities across the U.S. continue to expand as they refine their programs and explore new options to support grid reliability in response to the changing resource mix. The role of DR in planning and operations is expected to increase as the resource mix continues to evolve with increasing generation from natural gas, wind, solar, battery storage, and other emerging distributed energy technologies.

Policy Primer: Energy Storage July 2021 Update

Policy Primer: Energy Storage July 2021 Update

States are exploring ways to utilize the multiple benefits that energy storage provides to the grid, from enabling the increased penetration of renewable resources and reducing dependence on emitting generation, to bolstering reliability.

Visual Primer: States Oblige Utilities to Join Regional Transmission Organizations to Accommodate More Renewables

Visual Primer: States Oblige Utilities to Join Regional Transmission Organizations to Accommodate More Renewables

Clean energy mandates and goals adopted by U.S. states and utilities are driving efforts to plan and build out the transmission infrastructure needed to accommodate the exponential growth of wind and solar to facilitate power sector decarbonization.

EnerKnol Insights: State Legislative Actions in 2021 Lead the U.S. Towards a Low-Carbon Future

EnerKnol Insights: State Legislative Actions in 2021 Lead the U.S. Towards a Low-Carbon Future

Legislation enacted across U.S. states so far in 2021 reflects the evolving discussion around a wide range of policies ranging from accelerating the transition to cleaner energy and strengthening emissions reduction targets, to enhancing grid resilience, and preempting municipal natural gas bans. Delaware enacted legislation to increase the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for regulated…...

Visual Primer: Performance-Based Regulation Expands to Advance Clean Energy Transition, Serve Social Goals

Visual Primer: Performance-Based Regulation Expands to Advance Clean Energy Transition, Serve Social Goals

Performance-based regulation (PBR) continues to evolve in the face of transformational changes brought about by new technologies, changing customer preferences, and state policy mandates. Recent actions range from Hawaii’s approval of performance incentive mechanisms to accelerate clean energy goals, the District of Columbia’s ratemaking pilot that contains climate goals-driven tracking mechanisms, and Washington’s law to move towards PBR to help utilities adapt to rapidly changing societal expectations and public policy objectives.