Recent Projects

The Virginia State Corporation Commission asked for input in advance of developing a rule for energy storage deployment. Our comments note that energy storage deployment can increase emissions from the electricity sector, even if those deployments also facilitate the integration of variable renewable resources. We urge the Commission, under the Virginia Clean Economy Act, to adopt a rule ensuring that energy storage resources are deployed and operated in ways that reduce net emissions.  

The Department of Energy (DOE) asked for input on conducting its national impact analysis, including on market failures, its emissions analysis, and monetization of benefits of emissions reductions. We submitted comments suggesting that DOE continue to monetize the full climate benefits of emissions reductions using the best available estimates of the social cost of greenhouse gases. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) asked for input on conducting its national impact analysis, including on market failures, its emissions analysis, and monetization of benefits of emissions reductions. We submitted comments suggesting that DOE continue to monetize the full climate benefits of emissions reductions using the best available estimates of the social cost of greenhouse gases. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed changes to its electric transmission incentives, which aim to spur the deployment of technologies that enhance reliability, efficiency, and capacity of transmission facilities. We submitted comments identifying significant problems with the proposal, including its reliance on a benefit-cost ratio for project selection.

The New England Ratepayers Association (NERA) recently petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to effectively overturn net metering policies nationwide. While FERC has previously and definitively answered the jurisdictional question concerning net metering, NERA asserts without evidence that controversy persists. We submitted comments describing the flaws of NERA’s argument and urging FERC to reject the petition.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is exploring options for valuing distributed energy resources (DERs) in various contexts, including infrastructure planning, performance-based ratemaking, and others. We submitted comments identifying metrics that capture the value of DERs and suggesting how the PUC can employ those metrics to maximize benefits to the grid and society.

The Department of Energy (DOE) requested input on how it should conduct analysis of the efficiency, economic impact, and emissions of general service fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps. We submitted comments encouraging DOE to monetize the full benefits of emissions reductions using the social cost of greenhouse gases.

Rhode Island is undertaking a study to understand what a state carbon pricing scheme would look like and how it would interact with the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Transportation and Climate Initiative. We submitted comments that support the exploration of implementing a multisectoral carbon price and recommend that the state study a scenario that uses the federal Interagency Working Group’s Social Cost of Carbon.