Energy Exchange

New York’s ‘Reforming the Energy Vision’ Just Got a Little Bit Clearer

By Elizabeth B. Stein / Published: March 12, 2015

Nearly a year ago, the New York Public Service Commission (Commission) initiated a groundbreaking effort, called ‘Reforming the Energy Vision’ (REV), to overhaul the longstanding electric utility business model. In the months since starting the REV proceeding, the Commission has sought advice from Department of Public Service staff, industry stakeholders, and environmental non-profits, among others, quietly refining its vision while largely refraining from big pronouncements about the progress of the proceeding.

That changed late last month when the Commission issued its ‘Track 1’ order establishing the ‘vision’ component of the REV proceeding. We are now starting to get a better sense of what sort of future electric marketplace the Commission anticipates and what role utility companies would play in this new marketplace. We can also begin to assess the extent to which this new marketplace will lead to the improved environmental outcomes stated as a goal of this proceeding. Read More »

Also posted in Clean Energy, Grid Modernization, New York, Utility Business Models / Read 1 Response

Europe’s Love Affair with the Investor Confidence Project Gets Serious

By EDF Blogs / Published: March 11, 2015

By: Panama Bartholomy, Director of ICP Europe

Flag_of_Europe The European Commission is putting its weight behind an initiative designed to increase private investment in energy efficiency, the Investor Confidence Project (ICP). ICP is accelerating the development of a global energy efficiency market by standardizing how energy efficiency projects are developed and energy savings are calculated.

In late February, the European Commission released a landmark report on energy efficiency in Europe that was 18 months in the making, and it had ICP all over it. The report, Energy Efficiency – the first fuel for the EU Economy, was issued by the Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG), a group of financial and energy efficiency leaders and building owners convened by the European Commission and United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative.

Earlier that same month, the European Commission awarded a €1.92 million grant to the European version of the project, ICP Europe. The grant will pay for a consortium of companies to:

develop ICP’s project protocols for the European market;
work with financial institutions to embed them into their financing process; and
organize National Steering Groups in five countries: (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal and the U.K.) to take the protocols to markets in those countries.

Also posted in Clean Energy / Tagged Clean Energy, Investor Confidence Project | Comments are closed

Oil and Gas Lobby Says Up Means Down

By Mark Brownstein / Published: February 27, 2015

Marcellus_Shale_Gas_Drilling_Tower_1_crop The Environmental Protection Agency just released the draft of its yearly greenhouse gas emissions inventory. It shows in no uncertain terms that methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector are going in the wrong direction: Up.

Emissions from this overall sector are up two percent in 2013, which includes emissions from oil (petroleum) systems which were at their highest levels ever since estimates began in 1990 – and up 68 percent since 2005. Emissions from natural gas processing, where impurities are removed to produce pipeline quality gas, are up 38 percent since 2005. From transmission and storage: Up 11 percent.

Yet the industry’s public relations machine says emissions are falling. So what’s the disconnect? Read More »

Also posted in Methane, Natural Gas / Read 1 Response

A Possible Antidote to the Fossil Fuel Economy

By Tim O'Connor / Published: February 2, 2015

Much has been written about the causes of the recent downturn in world oil prices. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to hear that many places which derive a significant share of their economic activity from oil production have begun to feel the effects of this downturn.

As less money is taken from the sale of each barrel of oil produced, both major and local economies alike – from Alberta, to Texas, the Middle East, and Kern County – have seen a rapid decline in their tax base and overall economic output. In some cases, the drop in oil money has been so rapid and significant that some jurisdictions have declared fiscal emergencies.

Whether from layoffs at oil and gas operators, or government program cuts due to reduced tax collection, the downturn associated with reduced oil and gas profits shows just how fragile, and damaging, the fossil fuel-based economy can be. Just as families are hit in the pocketbook when prices at the pump shoot up, so too are many family livelihoods hurt when prices plummet. With this lose-lose proposition, we need to know now: are other options available?

Thankfully, there is another way. A new report released today from the fuels and energy consulting firm Promotum, (commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Union of Concerned Scientists) shows that an abundance of locally-based, alternative fuels is on the horizon. According to Promotum, the state is on track to achieve significant fuel diversification by 2020 and cut carbon emissions associated with fuel production and use. This positive forecast also means we can expect prolonged domestic economic growth from emergent alternative fuel companies up and down the state. Read More »

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4 Reasons a National Methane Policy Will be Good for Business

By Ben Ratner / Published: January 28, 2015

After months of anticipation, the Obama Administration this month released its new methane emissions strategy – a plan that opens up new opportunities for industry writ large, and especially for operators that want to cut waste and get ahead.

The centerpiece of the strategy are imminent rules that will help us meet a new national goal to reduce harmful methane pollution from oil and natural gas operations by 45 percent by 2025.

But the rules also bring direct industry benefits. Here are four reasons the new methane emissions strategy is a boon, rather than bane, for America’s $1.2-trillion oil and gas sector:

1. It tackles $1.8 billion in annual waste and adds market certainty

Leaky infrastructure and unnecessary venting across the oil and gas value chain cost an estimated $1.8 billion in wasted product and lost revenue annually.

The new rules require companies to include up-to-date controls as they build out new and modified infrastructure, keeping gas in the pipeline while making new facilities more efficient. Read More »

Also posted in Methane, Natural Gas / Tagged Methane, Methane emissions, Natural Gas | Comments are closed

California’s Transportation Policies Must Create Solutions to Deliver Benefits Both at Home and Outside Our Borders

By Tim O'Connor / Published: January 23, 2015

Make no mistake, California is a leader when it comes to improving air quality and deploying unprecedented amounts of cleaner, low-carbon fuels. However, despite years of efforts to cut vehicle emissions and reduce fossil fuel consumption, California remains in the top spot nationally for gasoline use, and is home to the top five most polluted cities in the country.

In addition, as the state and surrounding region continues to cut petroleum usage and clean up the environment – yielding major climate benefits – economic growth in emerging markets across the world means that our efforts are being undercut by increases in use elsewhere.

For California to truly deliver in in the fight against climate change, we must not only cut fossil fuel use and deploy cleaner alternatives at home, but also create solutions that deliver benefits abroad. In other words, we should aim to export our best transportation policies abroad – the ones that have helped California reduce fossil fuel use yet still help foster economic opportunities and growth.

A range of current policies are helping drive new technologies that yield low carbon vehicles and fuels

Over the past 15 years, California has given birth to the some of the most ambitious and successful climate change related transportation policies imaginable. For example, in 2002 the legislature adopted the Pavley Clean Cars law (AB 1493) which set greenhouse gas standards for automobiles. This law eventually led to new national vehicle efficiency standards and the production of a new wave of more efficient and cleaner cars and trucks.

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