Smart Grid

Visual Primer: State Decarbonization Goals Spur Innovative Resource Planning Measures

Visual Primer: State Decarbonization Goals Spur Innovative Resource Planning Measures

Climate Change and Emissions, coal, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Nuclear, Oil, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Renewable Energy Credit Market, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

Innovations in energy planning continue to emerge as state regulators devise programs and explore solutions that effectively meet customer needs and support policy goals. Recent state initiatives range from New York’s efforts to align gas planning with climate goals, to Maine’s investigation into the future design of the grid to accommodate growing renewables, and California’s transmission planning guidance to achieve ambitious decarbonization goals.

Policy Primer: Net Metering Reforms

Policy Primer: Net Metering Reforms

Climate Change and Emissions, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Renewable Energy Credit Market, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

Net metering policies continue to evolve as state regulators seek to make rate structures more equitable to address cross-subsidy issues arising from the growing penetration of distributed solar generation. Net energy metering (NEM), which credits customer generators for grid-exported power, has been a key component of the policy framework to spur investment in customer-sited renewable energy facilities, including solar and energy storage systems. Successors to original tariffs are considering a range of factors including avoided utility costs, value to the grid, cost-shifting, and energy demand.

States Rethink Resource Adequacy Constructs

Policy Primer: States Rethink Resource Adequacy Constructs

Climate Change and Emissions, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wholesale Power, Wind

Several states are rethinking the resource adequacy paradigm as the electric resource mix changes through the addition of more intermittent resources to replace retiring coal-fired capacity and meet state decarbonization goals. Resource adequacy initiatives are intended to ensure that the planned resource mix is sufficient to meet the future system capacity needs and maintain grid reliability.

Policy Primer: Distribution System Planning Evolves With Growing DER Deployment

Policy Primer: Distribution System Planning Evolves With Growing DER Deployment

Climate Change and Emissions, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

Distribution system planning is occurring across various states as utilities and regulators assess the growing need for grid integration of distributed energy resources (DER) and investments that have long-term implications for the power system.

Year Ahead: Five Must-Watch Power Sector Trends for 2021

Year Ahead: Five Must-Watch Power Sector Trends for 2021

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Insights, Grid Modernization, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, Smart Grid, Solar, Wholesale Power, Wind

The shift in policy priorities of the incoming administration is expected to accelerate the transformation of the power sector towards clean energy and distributed grid, continuing its trajectory driven by market dynamics, technology, and customer preferences. The strong growth of renewable energy is expected to speed up, particularly with the extension of the federal tax…...

Utilities Are Reshaping Rate Design Strategies

Policy Primer: Utilities Are Reshaping Rate Design Strategies

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wholesale Power, Wind

The growing adoption of clean energy standards, energy efficiency, and customer-sited resources is driving the need for innovative ratemaking principles. Utilities are exploring rate structures that facilitate the integration of variable and distributed generation, and align customer behavior with grid needs. Smart meters are paving the way for time-based and dynamic rate options to balance the grid under the increased penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources, as well as electric vehicles.

Visual Primer: Joe Biden’s Victory Hailed as Turning Point in U.S. Energy and Climate Policy

Visual Primer: Joe Biden’s Victory Hailed as Turning Point in U.S. Energy and Climate Policy

Climate Change and Emissions, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Natural Gas, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s energy agenda prioritizes clean energy and climate action, with a far-reaching strategy, which includes rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035, and banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters.

Hydrogen Offers Promising Potential for Clean Energy Transition

Visual Primer: Hydrogen Offers Promising Potential for Clean Energy Transition

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Natural Gas, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

Hydrogen is emerging as an important player in the U.S. energy landscape because of its ability to decarbonize multiple sectors. A number of exciting projects harnessing the technology are taking shape as hydrogen and fuel cells can store energy to help enhance the power grid and maximize opportunities to deploy renewable energy.

Grid Modernization Strategies

Visual Primer: Grid Modernization Strategies Increasingly Center on Innovation and Customer Engagement

Climate Change and Emissions, coal, Energy Efficiency, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Natural Gas, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Retail Power and Gas, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

State policy goals are driving comprehensive grid modernization endeavors aimed at transitioning to a flexible and efficient grid that caters to the needs of the evolving electric sector and diverse customer interests. A growing number of state regulators and utilities alike are embarking on innovative ventures, striving towards necessary enhancements to accomplish energy and environmental goals.

Utilities Continue Plans to Accelerate Phase-Out of Coal-Fired Generation

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Utilities Continue Plans to Accelerate Phase-Out of Coal-Fired Generation

Climate Change and Emissions, coal, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Oil, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Request for Proposal, Smart Grid, Solar, Wholesale Power

Proposals to accelerate the phase-out of coal-fired generation appear more prominently in long-term resource plans of U.S. electric utilities, reflecting the growing shift to renewable energy. The transition from coal continues to be driven by state clean energy mandates, emissions reduction goals, low natural gas prices, and increased availability of low-cost renewables and storage resources.

Increased Focus on Clean Energy Prompts Wholesale Power Markets to Weigh Carbon Pricing

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Increased Focus on Clean Energy Prompts Wholesale Power Markets to Weigh Carbon Pricing

Carbon Market, Climate Change and Emissions, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, REC Feed, Smart Grid, Wholesale Power

There is a growing interest in how carbon pricing can be incorporated into wholesale power markets as more jurisdictions embrace policy goals to transition to a lower-carbon power system. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has scheduled a technical conference to consider state adoption of mechanisms to price carbon emissions in regions with commission-jurisdictional electricity markets.

States Advance Alternative Ratemaking Plans to Support Clean Energy Transition

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – States Advance Alternative Ratemaking Plans to Support Clean Energy Transition

Climate Change and Emissions, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, EnerKnol Impact-Misc Categories, EnerKnol Impacts, EnerKnol Research Reports, EnerKnol Visual Primer, Grid Modernization, Integrated Resource Plans, Power & Utilities, PRODUCTS, Smart Grid, Solar, Wind

Alternative ratemaking plans and innovative rate design proposals continue to emerge as utilities adapt to policy and technology changes driven by decarbonization efforts and distributed energy growth. With growing state mandates to increase renewable energy generation, regulators are devising performance metrics and incentives to encourage utility innovation in achieving policy goals.