Deregulation

July 22, 2022

Germany Needs A Nuclear Option

We’ve written volumes about the failure of Germany’s Energiewende, the nation’s transition to a carbon-free economy by 2038. We’ve also repeatedly written about Germany’s head-scratching decision to pivot away from nuclear energy even as the country’s carbon emissions rose. Now, the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may […]
July 15, 2022

Energy Fairness Releases White Paper on Electricity Deregulation

As part of our ongoing effort to educate policymakers on emerging trends and significant issues in the electricity marketplace, Energy Fairness has released its latest report on electricity deregulation. With about a quarter of U.S. states having electricity markets that are completely or mostly deregulated, some states continue to consider […]
July 11, 2022

Europe’s Energy Squeeze Continues

Mostly outside of America’s public view, Europe’s energy situation continues to worsen. Only a few weeks ago, Russia’s state gas producer Gazprom reduced gas flow to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, causing energy prices to skyrocket amid fears of shortages. Additionally, Gazprom cut off three European Union countries […]
July 7, 2022

ICYMI: Summer Heat Sparks Needed Conversation On Power Reliability

ICYMI: Energy Fairness Executive Director Cline Jones recently authored an op-ed for Fits News, discussing the need for a national conversation on power grid reliability. The original piece can be viewed here.  In the wake of COVID, most Americans for the first time have been forced to face an ugly […]
June 30, 2022

U.S. Drillers Get Creative to Meet Demand

High gas prices continue to plague consumers and dominate social media, a topic Energy Fairness has covered quite a bit lately. Fortunately, U.S. drillers are finding new ways to produce crude oil economically, a development that should help place downward pressure on prices.  While the Biden Administration has called on […]
June 23, 2022

Biden Administration Calls For Gas Tax Holiday

Gas prices have been rising for months with no relief in sight. With the Biden Administration becoming increasingly desperate to assuage the public, the President has asked Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months to take pressure off consumers. Will it work?  “President Biden understands that high […]
June 16, 2022

The Heat is Rising And So Is CCUS Interest

The heat is on in much of the U.S. this week, with around 65 million people under some form of heat advisory. The above-average temperatures reinforce the need to combat climate change, but also should remind policy makers that we must focus on all tools in the fight to lower […]
June 9, 2022

President Biden Takes Executive Action To Accelerate Clean Energy 

Frustrated with the pace of U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technology, President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic manufacturing of solar panels and other clean energy technology. The Defense Production Act of 1950 was first enacted on September 8, 1950, in response to the […]
June 2, 2022

EV Interest is Up, But Supplies Are Down

With gas prices spiking to new levels and future summer road trips on the horizon, you may be asking if now is the right time to buy an electric vehicle (EV)? Maybe. While Energy Fairness has enthusiastically supported EV adoption for years, the decision to take the plunge can be […]
May 20, 2022

Energy Fairness Releases New Briefing on Net Metering for Policymakers

As customers nationwide explore solar power options, it is critical that policymakers understand the relationship between residential users and electric utilities. A key part of this relationship is the financial arrangement between utilities and customers when a homeowner produces excess electricity and returns that power to the grid, an arrangement […]
May 18, 2022

What’s Next for the Texas Power Grid?

The Texas power grid simply can’t catch a break. The system faced blackouts during a record-breaking winter storm last year, ultimately contributing to more than 200 deaths. You’d think Texas officials would have taken decisive action to prevent this situation from ever happening again.  Sadly, they haven’t. This past Friday, […]
May 10, 2022

Hope May Be On the Horizon for Diablo Canyon

Over the years, Energy Fairness has taken a firm stance against the closure of California’s last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon. Energy experts have long worried that the Golden State’s power grid is not ready to face the consequences of having the plants close. Nonetheless, the plants have still been scheduled […]
April 24, 2018

A Rising Tide of Questions About Deregulation

As a long-time and loyal UGA fan, I don’t usually make tide references. But the image occurred to me after reading up on some state developments concerning deregulated electricity markets. State leaders and citizens are increasingly asking questions about whether or not deregulation is all it’s cracked up to be, […]
May 22, 2018

A Tale of Two States – Deregulation in Texas

Last month, the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power (TCAP) released an update to its regular report on Texas’ deregulated power market. TCAP is a not-for-profit that helps aggregate electricity purchases for dozens of cities in Texas, and so has a vested interest in monitoring the state’s complicated and ever-changing electricity markets. TCAP’s analysis can […]
June 12, 2018

A Sea of Change in Charleston

It’s 90 degrees in the shade here in Charleston, South Carolina, where the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC) has gathered for its annual meeting. Eleven states’ public utility regulators, from Texas and Arkansas to Florida and the Carolinas, are represented. This year’s theme is “Effective Utility Regulation – All in […]
August 2, 2018

The Long Shadow of Negative Pricing

  Top Takeaways: Renewable energy plays a valuable role in the nation’s generation mix. But when renewable energy flows into the wholesale market at prices below zero, the generation mix is distorted over the long haul. There really is no such thing as “free electricity.” Like many people, I love […]
September 13, 2018

Gambling on the Mirage of Customer Choice

With summer diversions in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to the mid-term elections. Down the ballot from attention-grabbing federal and statewide races sit some key ballot initiatives. Nevada’s Question 3, if approved, would amend the state’s constitution to enshrine deregulation – also known as restructuring, competition, or […]
October 15, 2018

A Tax by Any Other Name: Washington’s Carbon Fee Proposal

There’s no shortage of significance in this year’s mid-term elections. While many are obsessed with whether or not a “Blue Wave” will wash over Congress, state elections and some ballot initiatives may actually have a more lasting impact on policy and the economy. We’ve covered Nevada’s Question 3, which would […]