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I moved into the private sector about 10 years ago but maintaining my academic roots is important to me.edit
The Electric Industry is being dramatically transformed, with three states: California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island already open to retail competition ion and many more expected to follow suit over the next few years. Reform... more
The Electric Industry is being dramatically transformed, with three states: California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island already open to retail competition ion and many more expected to follow suit over the next few years. Reform proponents see blue skies ahead. Pointing to the benefits provided by the deregulation of other industries, they expect electric restructuring to drive down costs, better services to all customer. Indeed, if one is to believe the govenor of California, the state/s bold experiment to restructure its electric industry will offer something for everyone; vibrant competition, lower rates for all customers, job creation, reliable and efficient operations.
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Author(s): Golove, William | Abstract: This paper presents the results of a series of interviews that were conducted with non-residential electricity service customers who have chosen to take service from as retail electric service... more
Author(s): Golove, William | Abstract: This paper presents the results of a series of interviews that were conducted with non-residential electricity service customers who have chosen to take service from as retail electric service provider (RESP). The interviews explored customr attitudes towards and experiences with the process of purchasing electricity and, in some cases, value-added services in the competitive market.
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Advocates of energy efficiency and renewable energy have long argued that such technologies can mitigate fuel price risk within a resource portfolio. Such arguments - made with renewed vigor in the wake of unprecedented natural gas price... more
Advocates of energy efficiency and renewable energy have long argued that such technologies can mitigate fuel price risk within a resource portfolio. Such arguments - made with renewed vigor in the wake of unprecedented natural gas price volatility during the winter of 2000/2001 - have mostly been qualitative in nature, however, with few attempts to actually quantify the price stability benefit that these sources provide. In evaluating this benefit, it is important to recognize that alternative price hedging instruments are available - in particular, gas-based financial derivatives (futures and swaps) and physical, fixed-price gas contracts. Whether energy efficiency and renewable energy can provide price stability at lower cost than these alternative means is therefore a key question for resource acquisition planners. In this paper we evaluate the cost of hedging gas price risk through financial hedging instruments. To do this, we compare the price of a 10-year natural gas swap (i....
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The solar power market is growing at a quickening pace, fueled by an array of national and local initiatives and policies aimed at improving the value proposition of customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems. Though these policies take... more
The solar power market is growing at a quickening pace, fueled by an array of national and local initiatives and policies aimed at improving the value proposition of customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems. Though these policies take many forms, they commonly include up-front capital cost rebates or ongoing production incentives, supplemented by net metering requirements to ensure that customer-sited PV systems offset the full retail rate of the customer-hosts. Somewhat less recognized is the role of retail rate design, beyond net metering, on the customer-economics of grid-connected PV. Over the life of a PV system, utility bill savings represent a substantial portion of the overall economic value received by the customer. At the same time, the design of retail electricity rates, particularly for commercial and industrial customers, can vary quite substantially. Understanding how specific differences in rate design affect the value of customer-sited PV is therefore essential to su...
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1 Summary T his Guide to Purchasing Green Power is intended for organizations that are considering the merits of buying green power as well as those that have decided to buy it and want help doing so. The guide was written for a broad... more
1 Summary T his Guide to Purchasing Green Power is intended for organizations that are considering the merits of buying green power as well as those that have decided to buy it and want help doing so. The guide was written for a broad audience, including businesses, government agencies , universities, and all organizations wanting to diversify their energy supply and reduce the environmental impact of their electricity use. First published in 2004, the Guide to Purchasing Green Power provides an overview of green power markets and describes the necessary steps to buy green power. The 2010 version represents the first major update to the guide and includes new market information and terminology, case studies, an updated additional resources section, and new resources for Federal agencies to use when planning on-site renewable projects or purchasing green power. This section summarizes the guide to help readers find the information they need. Chapter 1 describes the concepts of renewa...
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Customer choice is emerging as a defining feature of retail electricity markets. Nearly half of all states have either restructured their electricity markets or have firm plans to move toward retail competition in the next few years. 1... more
Customer choice is emerging as a defining feature of retail electricity markets. Nearly half of all states have either restructured their electricity markets or have firm plans to move toward retail competition in the next few years. 1 Even in states that have not yet adopted retail electricity competition, consumers often have the opportunity to participate in utility green pricing programs by paying a premium to have renewable energy supplied to the grid by their local utility. Whether by purchasing renewable energy from a competitive supplier or by participating in a regulated green pricing program with a local utility, there is now an unprecedented opportunity for consumers to influence how their electricity is produced. While no form of electric power generation is completely benign, electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal or biomass is typically regarded as environmentally preferable to electricity from traditional energy sources such as ...
This paper presents an analysis of approximately thirty Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/RFPs) for electricity and related energy services issued by a mix of government, large commercial and industrial energy consumers. The... more
This paper presents an analysis of approximately thirty Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/RFPs) for electricity and related energy services issued by a mix of government, large commercial and industrial energy consumers. The authors evaluate the RFQ/RFPs on a variety of issues such as: economic sector is issuer, specific services requested, pricing approaches, and criteria used to select service provider. They have augmented the analysis with a series of interviews of representatives of the issuing firms. These solicitations are useful in understanding revealed preferences of large customers as retail competition develops. These solicitations also enable us to evaluate a variety of efficiency-related issues, such as potential roles for energy service companies (ESCOs), the specific efficiency services desired, and concerns regarding purchasing power and efficiency services from single suppliers. Initial findings include: (1) solicitations have a number of uses beyond simple ...
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According to the CEC, up to 70 percent of California's electricity demand during peak times comes from air conditioning equipment. One approach to reducing this demand has been proposed by the manufacturers of polarized refrigerant... more
According to the CEC, up to 70 percent of California's electricity demand during peak times comes from air conditioning equipment. One approach to reducing this demand has been proposed by the manufacturers of polarized refrigerant oil additives (PROAs). PROAs have generated as much controversy as perhaps any other technology in the energy efficiency industry. Proponents have claimed energy efficiency gains of up to 40%, whereas others have labeled the chemicals as “snake oil.” Published evaluations of the effectiveness of PROAs reflect these disagreements. A well-known study conducted by NIST finds some energy efficiency gains associated with PROA technology under certain conditions, while a variety of other studies found no assignable energy efficiency benefits. Recently, the U.S. Postal Service was approached by the manufacturer of a PROA product and agreed to conduct a field test of their additive on a 1,000-ton chiller at a large USPS facility. Our institution was asked to ...
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Chapter One of this dissertation focuses on describing the key participant groups and their principle interests in the restructuring process. The process of reaching agreement on the restructuring plan turned on each major interest group... more
Chapter One of this dissertation focuses on describing the key participant groups and their principle interests in the restructuring process. The process of reaching agreement on the restructuring plan turned on each major interest group receiving satisfaction of all of its key objectives. Chapter Two explores the effective use of rhetoric in the electricity restructuring debate. Despite a lack of
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The solar power market is growing at a quickening pace, fueled by an array of national and local initiatives and policies aimed at improving the value proposition of customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems. Though these policies take... more
The solar power market is growing at a quickening pace, fueled by an array of national and local initiatives and policies aimed at improving the value proposition of customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems. Though these policies take many forms, they commonly include up-front capital cost rebates or ongoing production incentives, supplemented by net metering requirements to ensure that customer-sited PV systems
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Advocates of energy efficiency and renewable energy have long argued that such technologies can mitigate fuel price risk within a resource portfolio. Such arguments--made with renewed vigor in the wake of unprecedented natural gas price... more
Advocates of energy efficiency and renewable energy have long argued that such technologies can mitigate fuel price risk within a resource portfolio. Such arguments--made with renewed vigor in the wake of unprecedented natural gas price volatility during the winter of 2000/2001--have mostly been qualitative in nature, however, with few attempts to actually quantify the price stability benefit that these sources
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... Biomass facilities have to acquire and transport fuel to the plant; accordingly, biomass electricity contracts can manage fuel supply risk in a similar manner to natural gas contracts, by requiringfirm fuel and transportation... more
... Biomass facilities have to acquire and transport fuel to the plant; accordingly, biomass electricity contracts can manage fuel supply risk in a similar manner to natural gas contracts, by requiringfirm fuel and transportation contracts from biomass suppliers. ...
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Engineering, Industrial Organization, Renewable Energy, Financial Distress, Power Plant, and 15 moreElectricity Market, renewable Energy sources, Natural Gas, Power Generation, Legislation, Fossil Fuels, Economic analysis, United States, General Electric, Risk Reduction, Electricity Industry, Water Resource, Decision Maker, Risk Allocation, and Relative Risk
Abstract This report reviews current perspectives on market barriers to energy efficiency. Ratepayer-funded utility energy-efficiency programs are likely to change in scope, size, and nature as the deregulation process proceeds; our... more
Abstract This report reviews current perspectives on market barriers to energy efficiency. Ratepayer-funded utility energy-efficiency programs are likely to change in scope, size, and nature as the deregulation process proceeds; our research focuses on understanding to ...
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Information Systems, Facility Management, Energy Conservation, System Integration, Energy Consumption, and 14 moreEnergy Management, Demand Response, Communication System, Electricity, Data acquisition, Abundance, Electricity Consumption, Energy Use, Electric Utilities, Communications, Operation and Maintenance, Information System, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Meters
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... Biomass facilities have to acquire and transport fuel to the plant; accordingly, biomass electricity contracts can manage fuel supply risk in a similar manner to natural gas contracts, by requiringfirm fuel and transportation... more
... Biomass facilities have to acquire and transport fuel to the plant; accordingly, biomass electricity contracts can manage fuel supply risk in a similar manner to natural gas contracts, by requiringfirm fuel and transportation contracts from biomass suppliers. ...
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Engineering, Industrial Organization, Renewable Energy, Financial Distress, Power Plant, and 15 moreElectricity Market, renewable Energy sources, Natural Gas, Power Generation, Legislation, Fossil Fuels, Economic analysis, United States, General Electric, Risk Reduction, Electricity Industry, Water Resource, Decision Maker, Risk Allocation, and Relative Risk
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Environmental Science, Methodology, Economic Growth, Carbon Dioxide, Energy Policy, and 15 moreMultidisciplinary, Policy Change, Factor analysis, Fossil Fuels, Environmental Effect, Energy Intensity, Climate policy, Energy Use, Greenhouse Effect, Energy efficient, Energy Price, CO Emission, Carbon Dioxide Emission, Decomposition method, and Socio economic factors
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... COMPARING THE US AND THE DECD + Denmark + Norway + Sweden t Finland -0-West Gemrany + Japan -o-United States -o-France --v-ltaly + United Kingdom DECD-10 There has been much public discussion regarding the declining importance of the... more
... COMPARING THE US AND THE DECD + Denmark + Norway + Sweden t Finland -0-West Gemrany + Japan -o-United States -o-France --v-ltaly + United Kingdom DECD-10 There has been much public discussion regarding the declining importance of the manufacturing ...