December 2007

Ron Bailey’s Bali Observations at Reason

Lynne Kiesling I am late to the party because I was grading last week, but I commend to your attention Ron Bailey’s first, second, third, and fourth essays from the United Nations conference on climate change in Bali over the last two weeks. Ron is a thoughtful analyst of the climate change questions, and that …

Ron Bailey’s Bali Observations at Reason Read More »

Rggi Auction Design Comments Available Online

Michael Giberson The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) folks have posted the comments filed in response to the final auction design report. Previously here I commented on one such filing, an analysis by economist Peter Cramton submitted by the ISO-New England and NYISO, that pointed out a potential flaw in the auction design. Briefly scanning …

Rggi Auction Design Comments Available Online Read More »

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: Random Observations from Cafe to Smart Grids to Pool and Spa Safety

Michael Giberson At Common Tragedies, Rich Sweeney observed that “Pool and spa safety makes it into the energy bill,” but “renewable portfolio standards and increased oil taxes didn’t.” According to the preamble of the proposed “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,” it is intended (among other things) to “move the United States toward greater …

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: Random Observations from Cafe to Smart Grids to Pool and Spa Safety Read More »

Does Release of Electric Market Offer Data Facilitate Collusion or Discourage It?

Michael Giberson Most of the integrated power markets in the United States release market participant bid and offer data after a six month delay, with identities of the participants masked. Recently ISO-New England proposed reducing the amount of time the data release is delayed. A recent overview of data release policies, conducted by William Dunn …

Does Release of Electric Market Offer Data Facilitate Collusion or Discourage It? Read More »

More on Pepco’s Electricity Metering and Pricing Pilot

Lynne Kiesling Let me extend the discussion of the Washingto Post article on Pepco’s metering and pricing pilot that Mike mentioned yesterday. I have not discussed these pilots with anyone at Pepco, nor have I been able to glean any information from their website. Here’s a PR hint, guys: if you have a cool pilot …

More on Pepco’s Electricity Metering and Pricing Pilot Read More »

PJM’s Capacity Market: A View from Chicago

Michael Giberson The decision of ComEd, a Chicago-based utility, to join the PJM regional wholesale power market, centered in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland a few years ago was always a bit of a stretch. Chicago Business reports on some of the consequences: The decision to join PJM instead of its Midwestern counterpart, commonly known …

PJM’s Capacity Market: A View from Chicago Read More »

Electric Power Restructuring: Notes from Texas and Washington, D.c.

Michael Giberson There’s evidence that, because of the repeated auctions, generators can figure out each other’s bidding strategies and when the market has to have their power. If a bidder knows the market has to have some of its power, it can name its price. That’s Marty Schladen, of The Daily News of Galveston, Texas, …

Electric Power Restructuring: Notes from Texas and Washington, D.c. Read More »