environmental justice

The GT Power Hour: Episode 33 (All Eyez on Md.: MD PSC Chair Jason Stanek's big task)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 33 (All Eyez on Md.: MD PSC Chair Jason Stanek's big task)

MOPRs, ROFRs and NOPRs, oy vey! In which we welcome back Jason Stanek, who chairs Maryland’s Public Service Commission, to discuss the tensions and challenges presented by Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. Becoming effective on June 1 this year, the legislation is considered arguably the most ambitious climate-change law adopted by any state in the country, and Stanek’s commission will be tasked with getting the state on the right path to accomplish it — all without hiring any additional staff. It’s probably fair to think of Maryland over the next nine years as a bellwether for how feasible, given local objections to the necessary infrastructure development, rapid decarbonization in the power industry is. They’re the “canary in the coal mine,” as Chair Stanek notes, so “keep an eye on Maryland…”

Other topics include PJM’s recently released Grid of the Future study, the FERC/NARUC Joint Federal-State Task Force on Transmission, FERC’s NOPR on transmission, New Jersey’s evaluation agreement with PJM on offshore wind, food recommendations at the diner by the Buffalo airport, hot takes on college mascots, criticizing the U.S. Postal Service’s decision to not purchase EVs for its fleet, New Jersey officials for subsidizing nuclear plants and every overly-confident clean-energy activist on the Internet, thoughts about Maryland politics, its capital city and that big horse race it holds each year.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 32 (N.J.'s Path to Carbon-Free Power, w/ Princeton U. Prof. Jesse Jenkins)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 32 (N.J.'s Path to Carbon-Free Power, w/ Princeton U. Prof. Jesse Jenkins)

In which we… well, honestly, we talk a lot more about basketball than most episodes — but such comparative analysis fits well given that our guest is Jesse Jenkins, a Princeton University professor, energy-system analyst and modeler and all-around deep-thinker on the best and most-frugal paths to power-industry decarbonization. We dig into a study recently published by his ZERO Lab on pathways to a 100% carbon-free electricity in New Jersey (spoiler alert: you’ll still need natural gas, imports from other states will be key and offshore wind is perhaps too expensive), but also discuss life in the Ivy League in the time of COVID, technology tribalism in the energy-transition community, the media’s value in energy research, the good professor’s confession that he might be “a bad Duck” and much more!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 31 (Workers Wanted: ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski talks CEJA implementation)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 31 (Workers Wanted: ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski talks CEJA implementation)

In which we ask Illinois Commerce Commission Chair Carrie Zalewski to summarize Illinois’ new Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), and it still takes more than an hour — though, in fairness, we do also shoot a lot of hardball Illinois-related Rapid Fire questions at her. Listen for discussions on grid reliability, performance-based rates, integration plans for the state’s electricity-distribution utilities, lessons learned from the reliability issues in Texas and much more!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 26 (How to Engage with Regulatory Commissioners, the Right Way)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 26 (How to Engage with Regulatory Commissioners, the Right Way)

In which we discuss state and federal energy regulation with Paul Kjellander, president of both the Idaho PUC and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Beyond cooperative federalism and the interface between FERC and state commissions, we dive into the problems with joining CAISO, what the future of the power grid will look like, generator-interconnection advice, the national political pastime of bashing the federal government, NARUC’s upcoming annual meeting in Louisville, Rory’s resemblance to folk-grass musician Tyler Childers, arcana of ancient Roman calendars, predictions for the winner NARUC-president Jeopardy, how energy professionals can best engage with utility commissioners and why Idaho is called the Gem State and the marketing ploy behind Boise State University’s blue football field.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 20 (Glick 2: A Change Is Gonna Come... No Really, Like Now)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 20 (Glick 2: A Change Is Gonna Come... No Really, Like Now)

In which we take a second crack at recently appointed FERC Chairman Rich Glick as he settles into his new role, and he is very clear in setting his agenda: changes are coming - and some are already here. Less than three months into his leadership, Glick’s FERC has already announced more than a dozen major changes and initiatives, some of which touch on hot-button issues - like system reliability and resource adequacy in relation to climate change - and others that focus on it, such as creating a new senior-level commission position to address environmental justice and opening an Office of Public Participation.

From PJM’s minimum offer-price rule (MOPR) to the standards for evaluating proposals for natural-gas pipelines to how power generators are compensated and whether capacity markets are essential, the chairman goes on to lay out his vision and plans going forward, as well as expected timelines. We also discuss his beloved New York Mets, his abysmal record in picking this year’s March Madness winners and his expectations on energy-related legislation coming out of Congress this session. Shorter than many of our episodes, let’s just call this one “highly concentrated” and well worth the time!

The GT Power Hour: Episode 18 (Capacity-Market Deep Dive)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 18 (Capacity-Market Deep Dive)

In which Glen and Rory dig deep to break down PJM’s capacity construct: where it’s been, where it’s going, how it compares to other regional grids and the major forces at play in shaping its future.
But that’s not all! (It never is.) TB12 and the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip make appearances in the conversation as Glen coins the phrase “that warm barn of regulation” and presages the devastating blackouts in Texas that would occur just hours after recording the episode. What should become of the MOPR? Are PJM and its member states still invested in competitive markets? What’s the deal with monopsony market-power? Can state statutes play nice with market forces? How does the new-look FERC impact all of this? Does New Jersey’s new market-design idea have legs? No questions barred and all things considered, it’s a discussion about electricity supply and system reliability that you don’t want to miss!