June 2005

Grid-friendly Appliances Can Avert Blackouts And Delay Investment

12 Comments / Economics, Electricity, Energy markets / By

Lynne Kiesling One long-standing conundrum in electric power is that digital information technology has the potential to create a lot of benefits and automate a lot of costly real-time functions, but that it is not widely enough deployed. Exciting work at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is contributing to resolving that conundrum, through transactive control …

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Soaking The Rich Is Not The Paradigm Shift Germany Needs

7 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling Tyler’s got a link to some information on Germany’s ruling SDP’s proposal to impose an additional 3% income tax for those earning above 250,000 Euros. The appalling claim, though, is that the putative objective of this policy is to rally disaffected voters, not to raise any meaningful amount of tax revenue. What is …

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Hahn And Sunstein On The Precautionary Principle

Economics, Environmental policy / By

Lynne Kiesling Speaking of benefit-cost analysis, the new issue of The Economist’s Voice that came out yesterday has an article by Bob Hahn and Cass Sunstein on the precautionary principle. I have given it only a cursory reading, but it’s a good, readable argument about why the precautionary principle does not yield useful decision rules, …

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There Oughtta Be A Law (Apologies To Radley)

12 Comments / Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling OK, this is downright obscene: Starting Aug. 1, when the 2004 California Electrical Codes automatically take effect, residents will have to apply for a city building permits to replace or add wall, porch and ceiling lamps, light switches, electric receptacles, and other common do-it-yourself chores. So changing that noisy electrical switch with a …

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Competition And Choice Benefit Those Who Exercise It

Economics / By

Lynne Kiesling Yesterday the Houston Chronicle ran a commentary from Texas PUC Commissioner Barry Smitherman arguing that retail choice and competition benefits customers: Consumers who actively shop for electricity are reaping the benefits of competition while those who, for whatever reason, remain with the incumbent provider are not. Lower electricity prices are available to all …

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Energy Bill To Conference: Now The Tough Work Begins

5 Comments / Economics, Electricity, Energy markets / By

Lynne Kiesling The Senate approved its version of the energy bill, which differs substantially from the House version. That means that the hard work remains to be done in conference. Many of the electricity provisions are common to both, so are unlikely to change. I have no great objections to the electricity provisions; I am …

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