Energy markets

NYC Brownouts? But Why?? I Thought They Had Electric Power Capacity Markets

Michael Giberson From Reuters: Amid NYC heat wave, Con Edison lowers power voltage New York energy company Consolidated Edison Inc reduced the power voltage in some Manhattan neighborhoods on Wednesday, in an action known as a brownout, as a brutal heat wave stressed the city’s electric system for a third day. This was the second …

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Nest Learning Thermostat Featured in Reliant’s Learn & Conserve Plan

Michael Giberson The Nest smart thermostat made a bit of a splash when it was released (and countersplash from other energy equipment makers who said they offered similar features, and counter-countersplash from folks who said “sure, but not that worked so well for consumers,” etc., etc. We talked about Nest here, here, here and here.). …

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Hayek’s Knowledge Problem As an Issue in Electric Power Market Design

Michael Giberson Recently the Brattle Group submitted a study of resource adequacy issues within the ERCOT power system and the policy options available to ERCOT and the PUC of Texas, the regulatory authority overseeing the ERCOT system. As the Brattle report points out, ERCOT has so far stuck with a so-called “energy-only” market design while …

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Price Gouging Worries in the Aftermath of Mid-atlantic Thunderstorms, Power Outages

Michael Giberson The thunderstorms that tore up the Mid-Atlantic at the end of June left many thousands of people without power, sometimes for several days, during some unusually hot early summer weather. Among other things, the aftermath has been filled with price gouging complaints directed at hotels, gasoline stations, and retailers selling ice (and another). Maryland …

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Solar Subsidies in Italy

Michael Giberson Carlo Stagnaro, writing in the European Energy Review, finds that Italy’s generous feed-in tariffs for solar power are creating challenges for both the Italian budget and the Italian energy market. In terms of investments, Italy’s experience with solar power is definitely a success… Only Germany has more PV capacity. Indeed, Italy has more …

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Jevons Paradox: More on Current Controversies

Michael Giberson In the comments on yesterday’s post on the Jevons Paradox, Rick Lightburn notes an article on the rebound effect by the Rocky Mountain Institute, “The ‘Rebound Effect’: A Perennial Controversy Rises Again” (and see a follow up on the RMI blog). The RMI article links to and responds to, among other things, a comprehensive …

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Efficiency, Conservation, and the Inescapable Jevons Paradox

Michael Giberson Given the preponderance of government energy policies aimed at promoting technical efficiency, a careful consideration of the Jevons Paradox is in order. I’ve spent some time this summer reading about William Stanley Jevons, one of the three 19th-century economists co-credited with sparking the marginal revolution, and especially Jevon’s book The Coal Question. Most recently I’ve …

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Negative Power Prices in Rto and Bilateral Power Markets

Michael Giberson The Energy Information Administration has published a pair of short posts on negative power prices, one looking at negative prices in bilateral power markets in the Pacific Northwest and another looking at negative prices in RTO markets across the country. Dan Haugen has a related story at Midwest Energy News. Negative power prices may seem counter intuitive, …

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New Jersey Politicians Poised to Pour More Ratepayer Money into Solar Power Developer Pockets

Michael Giberson The bill isn’t signed into law yet, but New Jersey solar installers are probably breathing a little easier given reports that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is expected to sign a law that would boost the state’s electric utility’s solar power purchase obligation from about one-half of one percent to over two percent …

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The Natural Gas Revolution Need Not Be Subsidized

Michael Giberson Boone Pickens, among others, has been hot to have Congress devote taxpayers money to rolling out natural gas vehicles and refueling stations as a way of encouraging long-distance trucking companies and other folk to convert their fleets from diesel fuel to natural gas. A report produced by energy consulting group IHS CERA concludes …

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