Revitalizing Gas Utility Planning

A variety of trends are putting status quo usage of fossil gas under pressure, from electrification and increased energy efficiency to more stringent greenhouse gas reduction goals. At the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Summer Policy Summit earlier this month, Megan Anderson joined a panel to discuss the future of gas utilities. In a blog post, she lays out the importance of revitalized planning — including dynamic system mapping and consideration of alternative scenarios — to help utilities and regulators anticipate changes and “future-proof” investments to the benefit of all consumers.

Connecticut Takes the Pole Position

As sales of electric vehicles continue to expand rapidly, utilities and regulators need to move quickly to meet demand. David Littell writes that Connecticut regulators have jumped to the front of the field with a new order outlining a statewide EV charging program. With a “make-ready” approach to charging infrastructure ownership, attention to equity goals such as access at multifamily buildings, and thorough data collection, the order is a model for other states to consider. Improvements to rate design would further position Connecticut to be in the fast lane to a successful EV transition.

Unwinding Finance for Coal in China

Although China’s government recently pledged to “strictly control” and eventually phase out coal-fired electricity generation, large state-owned firms continue to finance and build coal plants. Max Dupuy writes that this seeming disconnect is driven by a desire to boost the country’s economic recovery, along with distorted incentives that still favor coal. Power sector reforms, including regional market mechanisms and transparent planning, will be needed to successfully wean China off coal power.

Anatomy of the Texas Power Outage

In the wake of the energy crisis that hit Texas in February, the enormous financial costs to both the electricity and fossil gas sectors have become clear — but debates rage on about the causes of the event and the best ways to prevent a repeat occurrence. In a webinar for the Electrification Academy, Michael Hogan peeled back the layers of speculation and disinformation to shed light on what the facts really tell us.

FURTHER NOTES

DER Aggregation: Lessons Learned

In a Missouri Public Service Commission workshop, John Shenot explored lessons learned from states that have allowed third-party aggregation of distributed energy resources.

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Enabling Equitable Building Electrification

In a webinar for Michigan’s Council on Climate Solutions, Jessica Shipley explored the key themes from RAP’s policy guide for equitable building electrification.

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