Electricity
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Chicago Citizens Need Predictability in Their Electricity Bills
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Chicago, a bustling metropolis, is known for its architectural splendor, robust sports, museum culture and vibrant economy. However, beneath its towering skyline, there lies a pressing issue that often goes unnoticed: the disproportionate impact of fluctuating energy costs on its marginalized communities. These communities, crucial to the city’s diverse tapestry,…
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Impact of New Efficiency Standards on Air Conditioning in China
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The rapid increase in global demand for air conditioners has deleterious effects on the fight to stop global warming. In 2017, worldwide ownership of ACs soared by more than 30%, most of which occurred in developing countries. The demand for ACs is likely to continue increasing in the future due…
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The Policy of Delivering Electricity
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Policymakers, spurred by the use of widespread electrification to achieve low carbon economies, have used varying policy approaches to bring about a more digitized, decentralized, and decarbonized grid. Bringing about a cleaner and smarter electrical system can involve increased engagement and participation of customers in the electricity sector, deployment of…
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Electricity in Transition: Renewables in Developing Countries
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The energy sector is undergoing a major transformation, becoming more decentralized and more interactive than ever before. Growing numbers of independent renewable generators are changing consumer behavior and posing challenges for current utilities. Renewable energy micro-grids—localized, discrete renewable energy power generation systems, independent from traditional grids—have been widely praised for…
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Winners and Losers in the Shale Gas Boom
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Society is accruing a large economic benefit from the shale gas boom. While more evidence is needed to calculate the costs of the externalities associated with techniques such as fracking, those costs would need to be very large to justify preventing this new technique.
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Opt-In, Opt-Out Options Vie for Top Billing in Efforts to Reduce Electricity Use
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A 2011 pilot program found that when customers opted-in to electricity rates that vary by time of day, they reduced their peak-hour electricity use.
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Raise the Roof: Comparing Cost Savings from Efficient Roof Upgrades
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers compare the 50-year net savings for white and “green” (vegetated) roofs, which are displacing conventional black roofs in the US building sector.
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The Cost of Wind Energy: Tradeoffs between Energy Storage and Transmission
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New research finds that transmission costs must be at least $600/MW-km and energy storage must cost at most $100/kW h in order for wind energy storage to be economical.
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Developing Efficiency: Why energy efficiency gains in China may not be fully realized
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The rebound effect, which measures the increased demand for energy from increasing energy efficiency, is found to be strong in Chinese urban residential electricity use.
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Does Taxing Carbon Level the Playing Field for Wind Power?
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Raising the cost of dirty power through carbon taxing won’t necessarily cure our addiction to gas and coal
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FITs and Starts: Getting Renewable Power to the Grid
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A researcher evaluates two lesser-known methods to spur renewable energy production. He finds them wanting.