Peter Sopher

This EDF report highlights the trend towards clean energy that has taken hold in Texas and promises to continue. Then, using an industry-funded model and assumptions from forecasts by Texas' primary grid operator, ERCOT, it assesses the ease with with Texas can comply with the EPA's Clean Power Plan and the benefits that such compliance could bring the state. The primary finding: Texas will be 88% of the way toward Clean Power Plan compliance, merely through existing market trends.

This article details the key aspects of Germany's aggressive transition to clean energy, then pulls lessons for other countries, namely the United States, to learn. The primary audience for this journal, beyond academics, is the U.S. Congress, state governors, and representatives of federal science and environmental agencies.

The German example is rife with lessons – pertaining to politics, governance, economics, grid reliability, and grid optimization – for other countries, such as the United States, to internalize as intermittent renewables become more prevalent in their generation mixes. The German example reveals that, while aligning politics and governance structure for an energy sector transition is a heavy lift reliant on sustained popular sentiment among the public, implementation can occur quickly once… Show more

The German example is rife with lessons – pertaining to politics, governance, economics, grid reliability, and grid optimization – for other countries, such as the United States, to internalize as intermittent renewables become more prevalent in their generation mixes. The German example reveals that, while aligning politics and governance structure for an energy sector transition is a heavy lift reliant on sustained popular sentiment among the public, implementation can occur quickly once these pieces are in place. Economic lessons are nuanced.Macroeconomic costs of Energiewende have placed substantial burdens both on energy-intensive industries and on residential consumers. Associating as an Energiewende proponent requires belief that macroeconomics benefits – such as large employment gains and the establishment of significant market share in an already large industry that’s poised to boom – as well as microeconomic indicators, such as rapidly declining prices for renewables, justify such high short-term costs. Regarding reliability, the German example shows that a grid that derives over a quarter of its power from renewables can become a global leader in supply security given ample reserve capacities and well-developed interconnections with neighbouring grids. However, extensive and expensive transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure must be built to minimize renewables- induced grid congestion that threatens grid reliability both domestically and for neighbours. Show less

This is an exhaustive case study detailing Alberta's emissions trading progress. Originally published in 2013, it was updated in 2015.

This article analyzes why corporate giants have recently been so bullish investing in clean energy.

This article describes five reasons for optimism about the future prospects of investing in clean energy.

This paper evaluates building operators’ interest in and ability to participate in demand response (DR) programs and facilitate cost-effective, large-scale deployments of DR. Results were obtained from studying nearly 100 commercial buildings in Las Vegas and southern California. Research questions address consumer energy use behavior and barriers to participation, performance assessment and estimation in commercial buildings, customer financial analysis and cost-effectiveness, and system-wide… Show more

This paper evaluates building operators’ interest in and ability to participate in demand response (DR) programs and facilitate cost-effective, large-scale deployments of DR. Results were obtained from studying nearly 100 commercial buildings in Las Vegas and southern California. Research questions address consumer energy use behavior and barriers to participation, performance assessment and estimation in commercial buildings, customer financial analysis and cost-effectiveness, and system-wide impacts, including environmental and reliability impacts. Results of the study will guide the refinement of the LEED DR credit and develop a rich dataset on peak demand in buildings that did not exist in large scale. Show less

This article analyzes reports from Bloomberg and others to assess the prospects for global clean energy investment.

IETA and EDF have collaborated to produce a set of detailed case studies of past, present, and future emissions trading systems from across the world. The report focuses on both mature carbon markets, such as the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the northeastern U.S. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and also emerging policy developments across the world, from Kazakhstan to Mexico to China.

IETA and EDF have developed these case studies to give businesses… Show more

IETA and EDF have collaborated to produce a set of detailed case studies of past, present, and future emissions trading systems from across the world. The report focuses on both mature carbon markets, such as the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the northeastern U.S. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and also emerging policy developments across the world, from Kazakhstan to Mexico to China.

IETA and EDF have developed these case studies to give businesses, policymakers, and thought leaders a clear picture of global carbon market developments occurring around the globe.

Please message me with comments, or tweet them using #worldscarbonmarkets Show less

This article summarizes the unique elements of 18 different emissions trading systems at multinational, national, regional, state, and local levels around the world.