Jamie Dickerson’s Post

The U.S. Department of Energy is monitoring a project in coastal Oregon to assess whether the ocean’s waves are a viable green-energy source. Read more here from Todd Thacker. 🔗: https://bit.ly/3ZQq6us

The electricity industry and its regulators once had a mission that was, if technically complex, nevertheless oriented around relatively simple goals: an affordable, reliable electricity grid that was ubiquitously available to all consumers. Those goals have remained, even while policymakers have added further imperatives around decarbonization, environmental justice, and equity. At the same time, the underlying resource mix that constitutes the electric power sector continues to change, with coal being overtaken by natural gas as the leading source of electricity in the United States, the emergence of new clean-energy and battery technologies, and a demand side of the electricity market that is at least conceptually able to respond to inadequacies or elevated pricing on the supply side. On April 30th, join EPIC as we host a discussion on this increasingly complex landscape with two leaders at the forefront of making it work: Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission Doug Scott, an author of the state’s aggressive climate and energy laws, and John Bear, chief executive officer of Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)—the country’s largest electricity market that spans from North Dakota to Louisiana. The event will be moderated by Travis Kavulla, a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and vice president of regulatory affairs at NRG Energy. EPIC Scholar and Harris Associate Professor Koichiro Ito will give introductory remarks. Register here: https://bit.ly/3xIJRbR

As we approach the winter season, understanding the dynamics of natural gas becomes crucial. Join us for an exclusive webinar where our experts will deep dive into market dynamics and projections for the end of Winter 24 and beyond. Register here: https://lseg.group/3MAhWyS

In this next legislative session in Minnesota starting next week, the subject of repealing the new nuclear moratorium will be discussed, in an effort to meet Minnesota’s affordable and reliable clean energy needs. While there is some doubt that a full repeal will pass, it is quite possible that an exemption could be made for small modular reactors, such as Steady Energy’s 50MW modular nuclear heating plant that can decarbonize all of Minnesota’s district heating safely at a very affordable cost that will save Minnesoteans on their energy bills while protecting the environment.

Hurricanes. Extreme heat. Rapid changes in temperatures. Fast-moving weather systems. Droughts. Torrential downpour. Wild fires. Cold snaps. The reliability and resiliency of the grid has never been more tested. If done right, clean energy stands to be a major part of the solution to help enhance grid reliability in the face of load growth and increasing extreme weather. Over the next week, I will be exploring the reliability of clean energy resources: First at tomorrow’s ACP’s “Power Perspectives” where we host conversations with clean energy and utility executives as well as wholesale market experts for a timely conversion on the reliability of clean energy in extreme weather events. And next week, at FERC’s annual Reliability Technical Conference, where I speak to the Commission about how clean energy is an important part of enhancing grid reliability and resiliency.

The first webinar of the #100DaysofLabour week has just started! Don't miss out on this opportunity to have all your questions answered in this live session on policy, practicality and pricing! You can still join: https://lnkd.in/e9P-EE8C #energycrisis #energypolicy #energypricing

New Berkeley Lab study shows a unique value of transmission relative to new local generation – the ability of transmission to deliver benefits to multiple regions by easing constraints across multiple types of circumstances. For example, we explore how differing regional circumstances drove the high value potential for transmission between Texas and Southwest in 2023, with high wintertime natural gas prices in the southwest, but not Texas, driving transmission value during the winter, and high electricity demand associated with an unusually hot summer in Texas driving transmission value during the summer. Both regions benefit--in different seasons. Additionally, though both Texas and the Southwest saw record summer heat in 2023, circumstances were different enough in each region that peak electricity prices occurred at different hours in each region. This mismatch in timing of high prices demonstrates a particular value of transmission – even neighboring regions facing the same large-scale heatwave may have differences in the hours of peak energy need enabling transmission to reduce high prices in both regions. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/ggUUz3HF

In the latest Texas Energy Minute, hear from Ed Longanecker on how natural gas is helping keep our nation and the Lone Star State cool during the summer season! #TexasEnergyMinute

📣JUST RELEASED: Episode 223 of #EnergyUnplugged is out now! Tyler Norris, James B. Duke Fellow at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment joins our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr🔸. ➡️Listen here: https://lnkd.in/diQq5kZ Together, they discuss the intricacies of interconnection processes within U.S. power markets, with key topics including: 🔹What are interconnection processes, and why are these increasingly relevant in the US? 🔸“Invest and connect” VS “connect and manage” approach for interconnection processes 🔹What will the results of the US election mean for the energy transition in the country?   #USPowerMarket #EnergyTransition #EnergyPodcast

🎙 One grid to rule them all? The future of a European single electricity market In this episode of The Sound of economics, Rebecca Christie invites Georg Zachmann and Christian Pilgaard Zinglersen (EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)) to talk about the ambitious idea of creating a more integrated European electricity market. They discuss the drastic change in Europe’s energy outlook, as we switch from a world of fossil imports to mostly domestic electricity production. They address the benefits of a better-coordinated European energy system, as well as the need for improved communication between member states, harmonised market instruments, and joint investment in infrastructure to achieve greater efficiency and resilience. They lay out the complexity of this cross-sectoral challenge and stress that this needs strong political will and trust to move forward. Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eBsXExtW