November 29, 2006 – Knowledge Problem

CA PUC Chairman Peevey to Illinois: Don’t Continue the Rate Freeze

Economics, Electricity / By Lynne Kiesling

Lynne Kiesling Today’s Chicago Tribune has a commentary from Michael Peevey, Chairman of the California Public Utilities Commission. Based on his experience in California since 2000, he cautions the Illinois legislature against continuing the retail rate freeze that has been in place for a decade, during a period of rising fuel costs. To placate suspicious …

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Residential Real-time Pricing in Illinois in 2007 and Beyond

1 Comment / Economics, Electricity / By Lynne Kiesling

In April the Illinois legislature passed legislation (and in June Governor Blagojevich signed it) requiring electric utilities to consider and evaluate the use of dynamic pricing to enable customer demand response. This legislation also directed the Illinois Commerce Commission to use benefit-cost analysis to evaluate whether such pricing and metering would lead to net benefits. …

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Gasoline Price Manipulation for Political Gains?

2 Comments / Energy markets, Politics / By Michael Giberson

Michael Giberson Falling gasoline prices in the few months before the recent U.S. election led some observers to conclude that the oil industry (or possibly the Bush administration) was cutting prices in an effort to manipulate election results. I’m skeptical, but now a pair of economists have done some related analysis and found some support …

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