Energy Exchange

FirstEnergy Clings to the Energy Past

By Dick Munson / Published: July 9, 2015

All around the country, we are seeing signs of innovation when it comes to the electricity industry. The state of New York is performing a comprehensive review of related technologies and business practices, Illinois is modernizing the electric grid and empowering customers to save energy by creating transparency around smart meter data, and the wind industry in Texas continues to set new records. The U.S. grid is truly beginning to evolve from the system Thomas Edison created 100 years ago, moving toward a more flexible grid that runs on clean, renewable resources.

Yet some players – with significant revenue and power – are not on board. FirstEnergy, the Akron-based utility giant, has been clinging to the past and waging war on clean energy in Ohio, as I explain in my op-ed published today in the Akron Beacon Journal. The Beacon Journal is the hometown newspaper of FirstEnergy’s headquarters. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Energy Financing, FirstEnergy, Renewable Energy / Read 2 Responses

Pennsylvania Gives Clean Energy Not One, but Two Boosts

By Dick Munson / Published: June 18, 2015

All industries use acronyms, but anyone who reads this blog can attest the electricity sector seems to have more than its fair share. One of these acronyms – TRC – stands for Total Resource Cost and represents the key means by which utilities measure the cost effectiveness of energy efficiency. Another – DR – is demand response, or a voluntary energy conservation tool that rewards people who use less electricity during times of peak, or high, energy demand.

Getting each of these acronyms – and their associated clean energy resources – right is critical if we are to run our electric grid as efficiently as possible. Fortunately for Pennsylvania’s clean energy economy, the state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) last week took a commendable step toward more fairly valuing both energy efficiency and demand response. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Demand Response, Energy Efficiency / Tagged Pennsylvania | Comments are closed

Empowering Pennsylvanians through Increased Energy Data Access

By Dick Munson / Published: June 16, 2015

Source: Green Button

Data may be the most promising and powerful tool to advance energy efficiency, but we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of its potential. Fortunately, more and more customers across the country are obtaining access to information on their electricity usage and pricing data, and Pennsylvania may be one step closer to harnessing this resource.

EDF and Mission:data – a national coalition of technology companies that advance the use of energy data – recently encouraged the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to empower customers with data in an electronic form. Specifically, we are proposing the PUC adopt the Open Data Access Framework, which clarifies the type of electricity usage data all Pennsylvania customers and authorized third-parties have access to and how the data should be provided. Based on widely-adopted national standards, the Framework can help Pennsylvania effectively utilize and get the most out of its energy data.

Data, technology, and potential savings

Data access is central to customers realizing value from a utility’s investments in advanced energy measurement, and technology can further unlock the potential. But most people do not have the time to become an expert energy analyst simply to identify cost-effective efficiency opportunities. Therefore, most of us will rely on technologies, such as smart thermostats, and third parties to digest and synthesize meter data into actionable steps that increase efficiency, save money, and cut pollution. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Data Access, Energy Efficiency, Grid Modernization / Tagged Pennsylvania | Comments are closed

Clean Jobs Legislation Maintains Momentum in Illinois

By Dick Munson / Published: June 9, 2015

At the start of the 2015 Illinois legislative session, a diverse coalition came together to introduce and support the Illinois Clean Jobs bill – legislation which would strengthen Illinois’ energy efficiency policies, as well as update and extend the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The bill would also create a market-based strategy to meet new federal carbon regulations to limit carbon emissions from existing power plants, otherwise known as the Clean Power Plan (CPP).

So now that the regular legislative session has ended, where does the Clean Jobs bill stand?

A victory for the little guy

Initially, the Clean Jobs bill was far from the energy legislation spotlight. Two deep-pocketed companies also introduced bills. Exelon proposed a bailout for three of its uneconomic nuclear reactors. And Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) wanted to restructure its rates to ensure a profit because efficiency and clean energy had reduced the demand for power.

Most political observers felt Exelon and ComEd – which employ teams of lobbyists and enjoy substantial political clout – would quickly obtain what they asked for. Yet neither went anywhere, and it was actually the Clean Jobs legislation that obtained more co-sponsors than the Exelon and ComEd bills – combined. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Clean Power Plan, Energy Efficiency, Illinois, Jobs, Renewable Energy / Authors: dmunson / Comments are closed

FirstEnergy Campaign Gets Graphic: EDF Launches Online Ads, Reaches Millions

By Dick Munson / Published: June 2, 2015

FE300_V1 In the past few weeks, I have written extensively on the $3 billion bailout proposed by FirstEnergy, the giant utility that provides electricity across Ohio and multiple other states. For those of you who want to catch up on what FirstEnergy is up to and why the proposal is such a bad idea, take a look at our recent blog posts on the topic.

But we haven’t just written about FirstEnergy’s nefarious antics. A few weeks ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)began running online ads in local Ohio markets and on some of the web’s most influential financial news sites. Since we launched, our ads have generated more than 2 million impressions on computers, tablets, and phones across the country. And, we’re just getting warmed up.

Thank you to the nearly 1000 EDF members who have already urged the Public Utility Commission of Ohio to reject FirstEnergy’s proposed bailout. If you see one of the below ads online, we hope you consider taking the same action! Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, FirstEnergy / Comments are closed

Debunking FirstEnergy’s Bailout Arguments

By Dick Munson / Published: May 26, 2015

FirstEnergy, the giant Ohio-based company that owns power plants and transmission lines in several midwestern and northeastern states, is running out of arguments for its proposed bailout.

The Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which is currently considering the proposal by FirstEnergy for substantial, customer-funded subsidies to bail out its uneconomic power plants, has suggested the utility must prove four points.

Financial need

As we all know, need is different than want. And with a balance sheet showing $12.4 billion in shareholder equity, clearly the giant utility is able to keep these plants open. But FirstEnergy and its shareholders are reluctant to subsidize their own risk – instead, they want Ohio customers to take on the cost and associated risk. Strike one. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, FirstEnergy / Read 2 Responses