electricity grid

26Jun

When Markets Undermine Reliability

Air conditioners are running at full throttle as summer descends in all its sticky, suffocating glory. As those ACs kick on, electricity demand is creeping up, potentially hitting record levels in some states. In Texas, as temperatures climb towards triple digits, customers are wondering if the AC – and a reliable flow of power – […]
08May

Affordability and Reliability First

In a nation that holds polarizing views on nearly everything, it’s telling when a poll returns decisive, bipartisan consensus on an issue. That’s precisely the case in a new poll from Morning Consult which asked Americans how they believe the current transformation of the grid should be approached. Asked if they would like to transition […]
01May

Subsidizing Grid Unreliability

As the share of coal power on the Texas grid continues to decline and as greater reliance is placed on renewable sources of generation, Texans are crossing their fingers that they don’t face rolling outages this summer. There’s ample reason for concern. ERCOT, the state’s grid operator, is working with a razor-thin reserve margin of generating […]
24Apr

Mandating Higher Electricity Prices

The suspicion for some time has been that renewable portfolio standards are an incredibly costly and inefficient energy policy. Yet, they have grown in popularity and ambition with 29 states and the District of Columbia employing these mandates and policymakers from time to time flirting with a national standard. Suspicion has now been replaced by […]
17Apr

Batteries: Great Promise, Even Greater Hype

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. From our smartphones, computers and tablets to electric vehicles, we are in the midst of a battery revolution. But for all the promise of batteries, there are limitations. There are physics problems that dictate how batteries can be used, or should be used, that need to inform our energy policy. Unfortunately, […]
10Apr

When the Market is the Problem

“Allow the market to work” has been the catchphrase rebuttal to any suggestion that the accelerating loss of baseload, fuel-secure power plants threatens grid reliability. Renewable and natural gas advocates have sung it from the rooftops like a lost verse of “Baby Shark.” What their dismissal assumes – what their unshakeable faith in the market […]
04Apr

A Clear Call for Action on Grid Reliability

Last Friday, Real Clear Politics hosted an event on the future of the U.S. electricity grid, or rather the challenge of maintaining grid reliability as the nation’s electricity mix undergoes dramatic change. The event, sponsored by NMA and America’s Power, brought together energy experts and officials on the frontline of the issue, including the Secretary […]
27Mar

New Report Reaffirms Electricity Markets Aren’t Adequately Valuing Reliability

A new study being pushed by renewables advocates deserves note – but not for the reason its backers claim. It is noteworthy in that it is the perfect example of just how dysfunctional our electricity markets actually are and how uninformed the energy debate has become. The study, titled “The Coal Cost Crossover,” suggests that […]
20Mar

A “Very Scary” Situation in Texas

Texas got a taste of cooler than expected weather this week and it sent shockwaves across the state’s electricity market. The Lone Star State learned a valuable lesson about putting too much faith in intermittent renewables. Temperatures dipped Monday morning, increasing heating demand, and that cooler weather was accompanied by calmer than expected winds. Calm […]
14Mar

A Solution in Search of a Problem

It’s not uncommon to hear calls for rebuilding and transforming the electricity grid. In fact, renewable energy boosters say transforming the grid is an imperative if the nation is to reach their goal of 100 percent wind and solar power. But this call for transformation exposes some of the underlying problems with the proposed wind […]