electricity prices

13Oct

A Responsible Energy Transition Can’t Mean Energy Shocks

The word “transition” suggests a measured, thoughtful change, not a jump cut. That’s why the energy “transition” proposed in the reconciliation package doesn’t feel like a transition at all. It’s an upending of the nation’s energy mix and the jobs that support millions of families. As the global energy crisis deepens, it’s increasingly clear that […]
06Oct

Energy-Driven Inflation is Here

Europe’s energy crisis is threatening to jump across the Atlantic with affordable and reliable energy, the very foundation for economic recovery, hanging in the balance. Supply chain disruptions have already provided troubling inflationary pressure on the economy; now, rising energy prices threaten to push a tenuous situation over the edge. The world – especially Europe […]
08Sep

Don’t Jeopardize the Affordability Underpinned by Dispatchable Fuel Diversity

Just a few weeks ago, industry observers declared the end of the era of cheap natural gas. With U.S. natural gas prices soaring past the $4/MMBtu mark and now sitting above $4.60—nearly double what they were this time last year – that call seems increasingly prescient. Not since 2014 have prices been at this level […]
01Sep

Reshaping the U.S. Electricity Mix by 2030 is Full of Potential Pitfalls – Just ask European Consumers

Proposing to upend the nation’s electricity mix and do it at warp speed is policy that at the very least deserves transparent discussion and requires extensive planning. Tucked into the reconciliation package is just such a proposal. The Clean Electricity Payment Program will throw vast sums at utilities to transform their generating fleets and do […]
18Aug

With Natural Gas Prices Soaring, Fuel Diversity Matters More than Ever

The era of cheap natural gas is officially over. According to Bloomberg, a decade of low natural gas prices – driven by surging production from the U.S., Australia and other nations – has finally been overtaken by demand from a recovering global economy. New supply, and the appetite of industry to provide it, isn’t keeping […]
24Mar

When Dispatchable Fuel Diversity Goes, Affordability Does Too

Coal power proved invaluable across the Midwest this February in keeping the lights on and homes warm during the deep freeze. But coal is not just a reliability backstop. As we’re now seeing, it’s also a critical piece of a balanced generation portfolio that holds down wholesale electricity prices. On the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) […]
26Aug

The More Expensive, Less Reliable Solution

In the wake of California’s rolling blackouts, there has been a deluge of explanations, excuses and suggested remedies for what went wrong and what needs to happen to ensure there isn’t a repeat. There are calls for demand response, a nationally integrated super grid, an over-build of renewables and energy storage on an unprecedented scale. […]
12Aug

Electricity Affordability is Underpinned by Dispatchable Fuel Diversity

With the economy still reeling from the pandemic, U.S. electricity demand is down this summer. And while coal generation continues to play an essential role in meeting demand across the country, especially on scorching summer days, coal generation has borne the brunt of unique near-term market conditions. However, analysts are already predicting a bounce back […]
06Aug

Eighty-Five Percent of Americans are Concerned by Rising Electricity Rates

The numbers couldn’t be clearer. In recent polling conducted by Morning Consult, an overwhelming majority of Americans – 85 percent of registered voters – expressed concern at rising electricity prices. According to the most recent Energy Information Administration data, the largest number of regulated utilities filed to change rates in 2018 since 1983. More Americans […]
29Jul

During this Election, Energy Affordability is a Crisis

A “tidal wave” of power shut-offs is looming over the nation as families struggle with mid-summer heat and the devastating financial effects of the pandemic. That is how NPR recently described a heartbreaking situation where millions of families are choosing between paying power bills and putting food on the table or buying essential medication. New […]