by Raymond S. Heyman Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought to the forefront the key role that energy policy plays in international relations. Many countries sympathetic to Ukraine, but not wanting to escalate the conflict by sending troops, have discussed or actually imposed economic sanctions on Russia. One obvious target area for sanctions is Russian […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman We are just weeks away from the national Presidential election. The two major party candidates, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden, could not be farther apart philosophically than they are on the important issues of climate change and environmental stewardship. President Trump’ s position is summarized in the […]
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by Raymond Heyman As electric utilities move towards the implementation of smart grid software and hardware, an area of interest is potential exposure to cyber attacks. The electric grid generally refers to the network of transmission lines, substations, transformers and related equipment that delivers power from generators to businesses and homes. “Smart grids” integrate digital […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman On Monday, March 11, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget issued President Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2020, “A Budget for a Better America”, (the “Budget Proposal”) in the amount of $4.7 trillion. As in years past, the Budget Proposal will be scrutinized for what it includes (and increases) […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman Initiatives at ballot boxes, legislatures and regulatory agencies in various states in 2018 are aimed at changing the electric utility industry. Some seek a transition from fossil fuel reliance to renewable fuel dependence. Others look to replace regulated monopolies with marketplace competitors. When there is a paradigm shift and utilities believe that […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman On January 30, 2018, Commissioner Andy Tobin submitted an expansive Proposed Energy Modernization Plan in Arizona Corporation Commission, Docket No. E-00000Q-16-0289. This docket, the “Review, Modernization and Expansion of the Arizona Renewable Energy Standards and Tariff Rules and Associated Rules” was originally opened in August 2016. Commissioner Tobin’s Plan includes: The […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman It has almost been six months since the Trump administration came into power. At that time, energy and environmental stakeholders were either celebrating the advent of a period of progressive reform or lamenting the end of conscientious conservation and stewardship. A review of the impact of what the Trump administration has […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman Rooftop solar companies and their trade associations are intervening in a variety of state utility regulatory proceedings around the country. In Arizona, for example, in the past two years they have intervened in three rate cases for investor owned electric utilities and two rate cases for member-owned electric cooperatives. Additionally, rooftop solar advocates have intervened […]
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by Raymond S. Heyman One of the fastest emerging technologies in the energy industry is battery storage. Seen as a solution to frequency regulation challenges and renewable energy shortfalls, battery storage is sometimes called the next “game changer.” There are two types of battery energy storage options. Large “front-of-the-meter” storage applications are grid scale and […]
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