06Nov

Fuel (In)Security

“A group of well-resourced hackers have been combing through the networks of the gas pipeline operator for almost a year, harvesting crucial information. Now the hackers know the network better than the pipeline company does: every piece of equipment, the company’s entire workforce, usernames and passwords. They have the privileges needed to access both the […]

On November 6, 2019
all-of-the-above, cyber security, electricity grid, grid reliability, MIT Technology Review, Secretary Rick Perry

30Oct

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

What’s scarier than a Stephen Strasburg curveball? Ask the Houston Astros and they’d probably say, “not much.” But Halloween’s imminent arrival means a different kind of scary. If there’s a constant about what scares us, it’s the dark. Watch most – if not all – scary or post-apocalyptic films and the first thing to go […]

On October 30, 2019
coal-fired power plants, energy security, grid reliability, PJM, polar vortex, wind

11Sep

Restore Competition to Electricity Markets

Are renewable sources of power ready to stand on their own two feet? Ask wind and solar boosters and the answer would seemingly be yes. The story we’re being told is that after decades of government support, wind and solar projects are now cost-competitive with traditional sources of power. Except when they’re not. Curiously, these […]

On September 11, 2019
baseload power, coal, grid reliability, renewable energy, renewables subsidies, University of Chicago

04Sep

The Energy Policy Disconnect Grows Wider

Lost in the noise of what candidates and pundits want for the nation’s energy future is what Americans want. While the rollout of candidates’ energy plans has turned into a game of one-upmanship on who can ban the most sources of energy or spend the most taxpayer money in the least amount of time, the […]

On September 4, 2019
all-of-the-above, baseload power, grid reliability, University of Chicago

28Aug

From Texas to Germany, Grid Reliability Concerns are Growing

Texas’ recent near-miss with blackouts has turned more than a few heads. The challenges posed to the Texas grid, and other regional grids, by growing reliance on intermittent sources of power and, in some cases, an overstretched natural gas transmission system, have caught the attention of regulators and policymakers. Last week, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer […]

On August 28, 2019
baseload power, Bloomberg, electricity grid, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Germany, grid reliability, Senator Kevin Cramer, Severin Borenstein, solar, Texas, United Kingdom, wind

14Aug

The Texas Reliability Two Step

The Texas grid has been pushed to its limits this week. Demand for power has exceeded supply, prices have soared and energy experts and consumers alike have waited with bated breath for rolling brownouts or blackouts. On Monday, electricity demand hit a new record and electricity prices spiked to $6,500 per megawatt hour. On […]

On August 14, 2019
baseload power, coal-fired power plants, electricity grid, Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid reliability, solar, Texas, wind

07Aug

When Down is Up

The reduction in the price of electricity from solar and wind power over the last decade has made for a fantastic story. But it’s hiding a more complex and troubling truth. While the price of generating power from renewables has fallen, the cost, or burden, of integrating these intermittent sources of power onto the grid […]

On August 7, 2019
California, Competitive Renewable Energy Zone, electricity grid, Germany, Green New Deal, grid reliability, National Renewable Energy Lab, renewables, solar, Texas, transmission lines, wind, Wood Mackenzie

17Jul

A Fuel Security Crisis

If you’re in the grid reliability business, the New England grid is a problem most don’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole. New England’s challenge is two-fold. First, the region has retired nearly all of its baseload coal capacity and much of its nuclear power capacity. New England has put all its eggs in […]

On July 17, 2019
baseload power, grid reliability, ISO New England, natural gas, PJM Interconnection

10Jul

No Way in Hell

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) analyzes the reliability of our electricity supply. NERC’s reports and statements are consistently measured, typically packing all the flair and excitement of a buttoned-down white dress shirt. So, it’s with good reason that eyebrows were raised when NERC’s CEO, Jim Robb, recently told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission […]

On July 10, 2019
baseload power, batteries, battery storage, California, grid reliability, natural gas, New England, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), pipelines, Texas, Wood Mackenzie

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 […]

On May 8, 2019
California, electricity grid, Ernie Moniz, grid reliability, poll, renewable energy, University of Chicago

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