Power & Utilities » EnerKnol

EnerKnol’s power and utilities research covers all aspects of U.S. energy generation, transmission, markets, and regulations. Detailed coverage includes, but is not limited to, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), Independent System Operators (ISOs), and state Public Utility Commissions (PUCs). EnerKnol Research analyses filings, orders, notices, and agreements that affect day-to-day power markets and operations.

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

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

Oct302018

State Commitments to Procure Energy Storage Exceed 5.3 Gigawatts

States have started to build the foundation for a future of battery storage to capitalize on the multiple benefits the technology provides to the grid, from helping integrate renewables to bolstering the reliability of the network. State legislatures are boosting the number and diversity of measures proposed to stoke storage markets, considering a broad array…

October 30, 2018

Oct232018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Mid Atlantic Power Market Gears Up for Reforms as Debate Over Subsidized Resources Intensifies

PJM Interconnection LLC is at the crossroads for capacity market reforms as participation of sources receiving out-of-market state revenues continues to grow. Significant debate around the issue of price suppression from subsidized resources culminated in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's invalidation of PJM’s capacity market rules. Several states have opposed the premise arguing that the threat from subsidies is overstated and sweeping changes would unlawfully intrude on state energy policies. Following the FERC directive which rejected PJM’s changes proposed in April, the grid operator on Oct. 2 unveiled a plan which would address price distortion while advancing state policy interests.

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October 23, 2018

Oct162018

Electric Utility Customer Savings to Top $10 Billion in Tax Reform Windfall

The Trump Administration enacted the largest tax cut in over 30 years in 2018. The historic reductions are having a seismic impact on dozens of investor-owned electric utilities across the nation, leaving them with billions of dollars in over-collected revenues and slashing the rates they can charge consumers. EnerKnol’s first-of-its-kind report provides a comprehensive snapshot…

October 16, 2018

Oct112018

EnerKnol Insights – Expanding Retail Electricity Market Prompts Tighter Oversight From States

An increasing number of electricity customers are gaining access to the competitive retail market, giving them a broader range of choices in suppliers of electric power. In a bid to ensure a more competitive and transparent market, states are strengthening rules on marketing by suppliers. Among recent actions, New York is examining the status of cybersecurity in the retail access industry, while Maryland is considering enhancements to the competitive market and customer choice framework.

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October 11, 2018

Sep252018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – California’s 100 Percent Zero-Carbon Goal Hinges on Energy Storage

California has enacted legislation that reinforces the state’s clean energy leadership with a goal of procuring 100 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable and zero-carbon resources by 2045. California’s move is historic in that it represents the world’s fifth-largest economy having established a renown in the international climate arena. The Golden State has accelerated the growth of its solar and wind industries but success likely depends on whether storage systems can supplant natural gas that provides about a third of the state’s electricity. Earlier this year, California became the first U.S. state to mandate solar rooftop panels on new homes. To achieve its 2030 goal of five million zero emission vehicles, California recently enacted a law to assess charging infrastructure buildout.

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September 25, 2018

Aug212018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – New England Power Grid Sees No End to Worsening Winter Fuel Shortages

The New England grid operator has identified fuel security as the most pressing issue affecting regional reliability and energy affordability. Growing dependence on natural gas for power generation has been a concern, particularly during winter when natural gas is largely used for heating. The retirement of nuclear, coal, and oil powered plants has pushed the region to rely on costly, carbon-intensive oil-fired units to meet peak demand.

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August 21, 2018

Aug142018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Six Policies Pushing Hawaii Towards 100 Percent Renewables

Over the past four months, Hawaii has established performance-based ratemaking, initiated a microgrid tariff proceeding, unveiled a grid planning proposal, and enacted three bills on climate including a framework for carbon credits to fund carbon mitigation projects. The island is also exploring an electric vehicle roadmap.

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August 14, 2018

Aug72018

Large-Scale-Battery-Storage-Installations-2017

EnerKnol Insights – How Falling Costs and Evolving Grid are Accelerating Battery Deployment

The convergence of technologies, markets, rate design changes, and business models is unleashing new opportunities in the emerging electricity storage sector. Energy storage can provide multiple services at the same time or with the same resource, providing operational flexibility as the system becomes decentralized and decarbonized. While storage provides undeniable benefits in grid-connected solutions and flexibility, market mechanisms and rate designs will play a critical role in scaling up deployment. State policies that pair distributed generation with storage provide further avenues for growth.

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August 7, 2018

Jul172018

EnerKnol’s Visual Primer – Battery Storage Catching up to Natural Gas as a Peaking Resource

Growing large-scale deployments of energy storage systems, driven by declining costs and evolving technology, has opened an opportunity for these systems to compete with traditional natural gas peaker plants. Standalone storage makes for a resource-agnostic solution that would enable utilities to charge up as required using the available energy mix. As improvements in technology allow battery systems to provide power for longer periods, utilities will benefit as they must manage a growing share of renewables while meeting peak demand.

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July 17, 2018

Jul102018

EnerKnol Insights – Changing Net Metering Landscape Relies on Solar-Plus-Storage to Solve Cost Shifting

Net metering reforms are becoming more common to keep pace with the evolution of solar and other forms of distributed generation. Regulators are increasingly pushing for adjustments to the valuation of distributed generation as higher levels of supplies begin to strain the grid. Rate designs that value solar-plus-storage could solve the growing concerns of cost shifts and approaching net metering caps.

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July 10, 2018

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