Comments for econpolicy.com http://econpolicy.com/econblog Economic policy, especially as it involves infrastructure industries such as energy, fossil fuels, oil and gas, oil and gas pipelines, electricity, transportation, communications and other infrastructure industries Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:39:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on “Renewable Electric Power-Too Much of a Good Thing: Looking at ERCOT” by Econpolicy http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134&cpage=1#comment-111 Econpolicy Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:39:32 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134#comment-111 <strong>Econpolicy...</strong> [...] something about econpolicy[...]... Econpolicy…

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]]> Comment on Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider by Tweets that mention Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider « econpolicy.com -- Topsy.com http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=245&cpage=1#comment-105 Tweets that mention Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider « econpolicy.com -- Topsy.com Tue, 18 May 2010 11:48:44 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=245#comment-105 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by newglobaloil. newglobaloil said: Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy ... http://bit.ly/abX2TB [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by newglobaloil. newglobaloil said: Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy … http://bit.ly/abX2TB [...]

]]> Comment on Smart Grid and Broadband Over Powerline by Buddy http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=189&cpage=1#comment-96 Buddy Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:58:04 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=189#comment-96 Thanks for the very enlightening comments. Is the spectrum use of around 180 khz a technical barrier or a property rights barrier? That is, are these power companies assigned this spectrum for their own use, while broadband systems are assigned spectrum between 2 mhz and 20 mhz, but could use 180 khz if they had rights to that spectrum? I am aware of the amateur radio operators complaints (readers may find the AARL's position on BPL listed here: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc). Having lived through the days when Ma Bell required an unnecessary filtering interface device to be plugged into any phone not made by AT&T, and being aware of how interest groups in the US always claim that any change in the status quo ante will result in the fall of civilization as we know it, I am always hesitant to accept such claims at face value. However, I do not have the technical skills to fully evaluate the issue. HEK Thanks for the very enlightening comments. Is the spectrum use of around 180 khz a technical barrier or a property rights barrier? That is, are these power companies assigned this spectrum for their own use, while broadband systems are assigned spectrum between 2 mhz and 20 mhz, but could use 180 khz if they had rights to that spectrum?

I am aware of the amateur radio operators complaints (readers may find the AARL’s position on BPL listed here: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc). Having lived through the days when Ma Bell required an unnecessary filtering interface device to be plugged into any phone not made by AT&T, and being aware of how interest groups in the US always claim that any change in the status quo ante will result in the fall of civilization as we know it, I am always hesitant to accept such claims at face value. However, I do not have the technical skills to fully evaluate the issue.

HEK

]]> Comment on Smart Grid and Broadband Over Powerline by DLHealey http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=189&cpage=1#comment-95 DLHealey Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:34:19 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=189#comment-95 I was actually in charge of the team at UK utility NOREWB that in 1994 developed the worlds first BPL system. I was also on management team of CISCO / AEP JV Amperion that in 2002 developed a BPL system for internet access in USA. This is a big question. There is a divide between USA and rest of world. In USA there are a few applications for broadband access, mainly in rural areas. In Europe and Asia it is still deployed but also only sporadically The environmental lobby has now created the huge interest in "Smart grigs" and the technology is being revisited, but again primarily outside USA. Two of the world biggest utilities EDF and Iberdrola have both recently published "open standards" for powerline communications systems to their planned smart meter rollouts which will total 34m over next 10 years. Obviously some of these will use other technologies for communications but it is a huge commitment to powerline. These system however use a spectrum around 180 khz rather than true BPL systems that use between 2mhz and 20 mhz. It is almost certain however that BPL will be used to backhaul the meter data from aggregation points at the low voltage transformers Concerns over EMC raised by Radio Amateurs (primarily in USA) has been a hurdle for BPL however these issues have been addressed to the acknowledgement of regulators in Europe and USA. We therefore wait to see if BPL will be exploited as it is most certainly the most economic and environmentally friendly method of connecting millions of meters and sensor required to deliver a truly intelligent power grid. I was actually in charge of the team at UK utility NOREWB that in 1994 developed the worlds first BPL system. I was also on management team of CISCO / AEP JV Amperion that in 2002 developed a BPL system for internet access in USA.
This is a big question.
There is a divide between USA and rest of world. In USA there are a few applications for broadband access, mainly in rural areas. In Europe and Asia it is still deployed but also only sporadically
The environmental lobby has now created the huge interest in “Smart grigs” and the technology is being revisited, but again primarily outside USA. Two of the world biggest utilities EDF and Iberdrola have both recently published “open standards” for powerline communications systems to their planned smart meter rollouts which will total 34m over next 10 years. Obviously some of these will use other technologies for communications but it is a huge commitment to powerline.
These system however use a spectrum around 180 khz rather than true BPL systems that use between 2mhz and 20 mhz. It is almost certain however that BPL will be used to backhaul the meter data from aggregation points at the low voltage transformers
Concerns over EMC raised by Radio Amateurs (primarily in USA) has been a hurdle for BPL however these issues have been addressed to the acknowledgement of regulators in Europe and USA.
We therefore wait to see if BPL will be exploited as it is most certainly the most economic and environmentally friendly method of connecting millions of meters and sensor required to deliver a truly intelligent power grid.

]]> Comment on “Renewable Electric Power-Too Much of a Good Thing: Looking at ERCOT” by Buddy http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134&cpage=1#comment-94 Buddy Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:34:44 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134#comment-94 As far as I know, most states do not have time of use meters for residential and commercial customers. So efficient wholesale pricing does not necessarily lead to better pricing at the retail level outside of a few states like Maryland... yet. But we need to start somewhere. I was never a huge fan of the fixed-variable rate design used by FERC for interstate gas transportation, but the Commission has its reasons for using it. This rate design gets lost at the retail level also. Efficient pricing may be in the eye of the beholder to a large degree. Do we want pricing to reflect the marginal impact of the energy resources only, or do we want it to reflect the marginal impact of the transportation resources also? Or something else? A lot of trees and bandwidth have been used in this debate and I am sure it will not be resolved here. I should note that Mark's website is http://www.LivelyUtility.com. He has other articles there also. HEK As far as I know, most states do not have time of use meters for residential and commercial customers. So efficient wholesale pricing does not necessarily lead to better pricing at the retail level outside of a few states like Maryland… yet. But we need to start somewhere.

I was never a huge fan of the fixed-variable rate design used by FERC for interstate gas transportation, but the Commission has its reasons for using it. This rate design gets lost at the retail level also.

Efficient pricing may be in the eye of the beholder to a large degree. Do we want pricing to reflect the marginal impact of the energy resources only, or do we want it to reflect the marginal impact of the transportation resources also? Or something else? A lot of trees and bandwidth have been used in this debate and I am sure it will not be resolved here.

I should note that Mark’s website is http://www.LivelyUtility.com. He has other articles there also.

HEK

]]> Comment on “Renewable Electric Power-Too Much of a Good Thing: Looking at ERCOT” by MbeLively http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134&cpage=1#comment-93 MbeLively Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:03:44 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=134#comment-93 Wholesale pricing will tend to lead toward retail pricing. I am reminded that electricity restructuring was touted as leading toward better retail price structures. As a Maryland customer of PEPCo, I have a time of use meter. Shortly after PEPCo sold its power plants, I received a notice that my rate from PEPCo would no longer be time differentiated. My understanding from the trade press was the PEPCo's sale of the power plants included purchase power agreements that covered all of PEPCo's requirements, at fixed prices. Since PEPCo was no longer incurring costs on a time differentiated basis, or at least not many costs, PEPCo and the Maryland decided that retail consumers (that is, I) should not incur costs on a time differentiated basis, despite PEPCo being in the middle of PJM, an extremely organized wholesale market with quite volatile prices. As an aside, I note that PJM occasionally has the negative prices I discuss in my article about ERCOT. Wholesale pricing will tend to lead toward retail pricing. I am reminded that electricity restructuring was touted as leading toward better retail price structures. As a Maryland customer of PEPCo, I have a time of use meter. Shortly after PEPCo sold its power plants, I received a notice that my rate from PEPCo would no longer be time differentiated. My understanding from the trade press was the PEPCo’s sale of the power plants included purchase power agreements that covered all of PEPCo’s requirements, at fixed prices. Since PEPCo was no longer incurring costs on a time differentiated basis, or at least not many costs, PEPCo and the Maryland decided that retail consumers (that is, I) should not incur costs on a time differentiated basis, despite PEPCo being in the middle of PJM, an extremely organized wholesale market with quite volatile prices.

As an aside, I note that PJM occasionally has the negative prices I discuss in my article about ERCOT.

]]> Comment on A Crude Reality About Energy Independence? by nyjotekuqyq http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=131&cpage=1#comment-92 nyjotekuqyq Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:36:47 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=131#comment-92 <strong>nyjotekuqyq...</strong> <a href="http://namelindablog.info/my-konstantine-by-something-corporate/" rel="nofollow">My Konstantine By Something Corporate</a> ... nyjotekuqyq…

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]]> Comment on A Crude Reality About Energy Independence? by Kathleen Parker | All Days Long http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=131&cpage=1#comment-91 Kathleen Parker | All Days Long Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:04:54 +0000 http://econpolicy.com/econblog/?p=131#comment-91 [...] A Crude Reality About Energy Independence? « econpolicy.com By Buddy In “A Crude Reality About Energy Independence (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073102609.html),” Kathleen Parker argues that the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the latest energy bill before … econpolicy.com – http://econpolicy.com/econblog/ [...] [...] A Crude Reality About Energy Independence? « econpolicy.com By Buddy In “A Crude Reality About Energy Independence (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073102609.html),” Kathleen Parker argues that the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the latest energy bill before … econpolicy.com – http://econpolicy.com/econblog/ [...]

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