Although various factors were blamed for the extended power outage on the ERCOT electricity grid in February 2021, no single problem fully explains the calamity. All forms of generation experienced capacity deratings, but failure to identify and address risks along fuel supply chains was a major contributor. Moreover, most proposed remedies do not fundamentally address…
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Evaluation of the Winter Pollution Mitigation Policy in China
Rapid industrialization in China has come with substantial increases in local air pollution. This paper quantifies the health benefits of the Winter Pollution Mitigation Policy of 2017. We estimate that this policy caused an 18% reduction in fine particulate concentration levels, resulting in 19,400 deaths avoided in 2017 due to pollution exposure in Beijing, Tianjin,…
Book Reviews
Are energy performance certificates a strong predictor of actual energy use? Evidence from high-frequency thermostat panel data
This paper examines the extent with which Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) reflect observed energy used for heating. We use high-frequency smart thermostat panel data in combination with building characteristics and hourly weather information. We exploit variations in boiler operation in the neighborhood of a steady state indoor temperature to elicit the predictive power of an…
Does the Shale Gas Revolution Hinder Clean Energy Innovation?
Polar Vortexes in New England: Missing Money, Missing Markets, or Missing Regulation?
The 2014 and 2017-18 “polar vortex” events in New England served as virtual controlled experiments on how competitive natural gas and electricity markets coexist uneasily almost two decades after different kinds of regulatory restructuring initiatives freed different kinds of competitive forces to support the supply infrastructure in each energy market. As a region with no…
Letter to the Editor on Abada, et al. (EEEP 8(1))
Methane Abatement Costs in the Oil and Gas Industry: Survey and Synthesis
Financing the Last Mile of Electricity-for-All Programs: Experiences from China
Financing electricity for all programs has been a main barrier to achieve universal energy access. In this paper, we investigate the financing mechanisms of China’s electricity for all programs with a focus on the last mile problem, and we find that central investment, cost sharing, and public-private partnerships are essential for China’s success in such…
Consumers or prosumers, customers or competitors? – Some Australian perspectives on possible energy users of the future
Governance arrangements for electricity industries commonly claim the interests of consumers as their paramount objective. This would suggest a key decision making role for energy users, in all their diversity. However, the industry’s critical role in societal, welfare, large environmental impacts, and the challenges of ensuring it’s secure and reliable operation, all represent key shared…