The cost of transmission facilities must be allocated to those within the transmission planning region that benefit from those facilities in a manner that is at least roughly commensurate with estimated benefits.” (FERC, 2010, p. 91) Benefits include reliability, economic and public policy related impacts. Turning the principle into a workable policy is important as…
Electricity (and Natural Gas) Transmission under Transformation – An Introduction
There may exist various factors that could potentially hinder the efficient development of electricity markets, such as poorly defined property rights, incomplete markets, increasing trade of electricity among different control areas, inefficient operation, and maintenance, as well as bottlenecks in transmission capacity due to lack of investment for grid expansion. This introduction to the EEEP-symposium…
Do auctions promote innovation in renewable energy technologies? An empirical analysis of solar PV
Innovation in low-carbon technologies and, particularly, renewable electricity technologies (RETs) will be a critical component of the decarbonised energy transition. RET innovation requires a wise combination of supply-push (R&D support) and demand-pull policies (support for deployment). Renewable energy auctions are currently the main instrument to support the deployment of renewable electricity capacity worldwide. Thus, auctions…
Modeling CO2 Pipeline Systems: An Analytical Lens for CCS Regulation
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is regularly depicted as a crucial technology to reduce the social cost of achieving carbon neutrality. However, its deployment critically depends on the installation of CO2 infrastructures. As the regulatory procedures governing their provision are yet to be clarified, this paper aims to assess the social and environmental impacts of…
From Diesel to Electric: Overcoming Grid Integration Challenges in the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Sector
Decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sector is crucial for a sustainable clean energy transition. This paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles (MHD EVs) into the electric grid. With large trucks and buses being responsible for a significant share of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, the…
What happened in Texas? Understanding the February 2021 blackouts and learning lessons to prepare the grid for extreme weather events: An introduction
Energy Network Innovation for Green Transition: Economic Issues and Regulatory Options
In this age of multiple economic challenges and stimulus packages, is it a good time to heavily invest in tomorrow’s energy networks and research infrastructure? The academic literature widely acknowledges that innovation is key to decarbonising the energy sector and fostering sustainable development. However, R&D and innovation have not been strongly promoted following the liberalisation…
Relative Cost-Effectiveness of Electricity and Transportation Policies as a Means to Reduce CO2 Emissions in the United States: A Multi-Model Assessment
Two common energy policy instruments in the United States are tax incentives and technology standards. Although these instruments have been shown to be less cost-effective as a means to reduce CO2 emissions than direct emissions pricing mechanisms, it can be challenging to compare the CO2 emissions reduction costs of such policies across sectors, given the…
Global Electrification of Light-duty Vehicles: Impacts of Economics and Climate Policy
We explore potential impacts of global decarbonization on trends in light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleets from 2020-2050. Using an economy-wide multi-region multi-sector model, we project that the global EV fleet will grow from 5 million vehicles in 2018 to about 95–105 million EVs by 2030, and 585–823 million EVs by 2050. At this level of market…
Competitiveness of Energy-Intensive Industries in Europe: The Crisis of the Oil Refining Sector between 2008 and 2013
After the so-called ‘golden age’ of refining between the years 2005 and 2008, total or partial closures of 13 EU oil refineries from 2009 to 2013 reduced the EU’s total refining capacity by about 10%. This paper analyses the drivers behind this crisis, using industry data on performance and cost structure collected at the refinery…