Key Takeaways: PJM’s forced generation capacity outages in the 2013/2014 winter, along with long-term distributed generation trend, prompted PJM to propose capacity market reforms to ensure system reliability After requesting additional information in April, FERC approved PJM’s approval, allowing for inclusion in August Forward Capacity Auction Capacity Performance will impose stringent operational requirements and non-performance…...
Key Takeaways: Solar energy still only accounts for around 1% of total U.S. power generation but costs have fallen dramatically The BLM approved the first utility-scale solar development projects under the Western Power Plan By reducing non-hardware costs of solar energy, the BLM’s initiatives will soften the impact of Investment Tax Credit expiration Insight for…...
Key Takeaways: Enhancing energy efficiency is seen as a vital component of U.S. effort to reduce emissions and combat climate change A lack of access to information and financing are seen as critical obstacles to increasing energy efficiency of buildings Seven Accelerators have been announced within the Better Buildings program in order to enhance energy…...
During the 2000s, many companies positioned themselves for a prolonged period of U.S. natural gas import dependence and constructed multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals across the Gulf Coast. However, the shale revolution transformed the domestic energy landscape, with natural gas production increasing from 19 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2005 to 27…...
Insight for Industry – FERC’s Push to Incorporate Reliability Safety Mechanism in the Clean Power Plan Increases Certainty for State Compliance Efforts On May 15, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) provided the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a letter signed by all five Commissioners that details its role in implementing a Reliability Safety…...
Insight for Industry – Breakthroughs in Battery Storage Technologies Carry Impacts for Wind and Solar On April 30, 2015, Tesla Motors unveiled its Powerwall and Powerpack lithium ion batteries for homes and utility-scale applications, which could facilitate an increased role for wind and solar energy resources that have so far been limited by a need…...
Insight for Industry – Energy Efficiency Improvement Act Will Reduce Energy Demand The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law on April 30, will add momentum to falling energy consumption per capita in the United States by reducing energy demand from commercial buildings, manufacturing plants, and homes. The relatively uncontroversial…...
Coal has long reigned as the leading energy source for U.S. electricity generation, but structural changes in U.S. energy markets, brought on by technological innovations and new regulatory initiatives, have called into question the future of the coal industry. For over a century, the coal industry has provided the lifeblood for American progress, fueling the……...
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Trans-Pacific Partnership would Open New Markets for U.S. LNG Export Projects Key Takeaways: U.S. shale gas boom created opportunities to export surplus natural gas to high price markets in Asia, but lengthy regulatory processes have weakened U.S. natural gas producers’ ability to compete with global markets The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) could facilitate western LNG…...
Insight for Industry – PJM Capacity Market Faces Continued Uncertainty Despite ongoing efforts by PJM Interconnection (PJM) to address system reliability issues, regulatory impacts to its capacity market continue to increase uncertainty. The March 31 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruling that requires PJM to provide additional information on its Capacity Performance (CP) proposal could…...
The more the 50 percent crude oil price decline since July 2014 has impacted oil and gas industries throughout the supply chain and reignited energy policy debates at federal and state levels. Light, sweet oil has accounted for the majority of the domestic production increase over the last eight years, but since U.S. refiners are…...
Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Industry Challenged by Regulatory Changes While a number of regulatory changes could slow Pennsylvania’s oil and gas expansion, its resource deposits will continue to attract steady growth. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed natural gas severance tax would significantly increase the effective tax rate for shale gas producers in the state, and ongoing…...
