Electricity
Blackouts and California’s Clean Energy Transition
Over the past few days, California’s grid operator (CAISO) has been forced to institute rolling outages across the state as a historic heat wave affects much of the Western United States. This is the first time that there have been outages at this level in the state since the energy…
After Pipeline Rejection, New York Must Chart a New Energy Path
In May, the State of New York put an end to the $1.4 billion Northeast Supply Enhancement gas pipeline into New York City by denying a crucial water permit. Now state leaders have an opportunity to pursue the efficiency and electrification solutions that can both ensure reliable energy supply and…
Solutions for India’s Cooling Quandary
Last month consumers across India received a jolt when they were delivered their electricity bills. The combined effects of stay-at-home measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the sweltering heat of the Indian summer, and increased usage of energy intensive appliances such as air conditioners resulted in electricity bills being up to ten times higher than normal.
Aligning Utility Performance with the Public Interest
In 2018, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission rejected six out of seven performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs) included in a settlement agreement proposed by the state’s primary utility and a diverse coalition of stakeholder interests, from environmental groups to the state energy office. The joint proposal included new incentives…
Solarize Campaigns: Helping Communities of Color Access Rooftop Solar
There is a new urgency across the United States to address structural and systemic racial inequities in criminal justice, wealth and housing, employment, health care, and education. These disparities are also pervasive in energy. One common measure of this is “energy burden,” or the share…