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The GT Power Hour: Episode 29 (The Politics of Energy Generation, w. FERC Cmmsr. Mark Christie)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 29 (The Politics of Energy Generation, w. FERC Cmmsr. Mark Christie)

In which we receive several history lessons from FERC Commissioner Mark Christie on what has caused capacity markets to (so far) fail to live up to their full promise and threatens to tear regional markets apart, as well as what choices states have. From there, we consider the impact to the industry of the shale-gas revolution, get to the bottom of the tension regarding the minimum offer-price rule (MOPR), make a plea for Robert Caro to finish his LBJ biography series and the Steelers to draft Heisman-finalist Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to replace Roethlisberger, reminisce about the heroes of the golden age of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball and the antiheroes of the current Golden Age of Television, pay tribute to former Virginia SCC Judge Preston Shannon, discuss new year’s resolutions and Glen’s apparent love of coffee, plus much more.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 23 (Line in the Sand: A Garden State-ment)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 23 (Line in the Sand: A Garden State-ment)

In which we submit New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joe Fiordaliso to our line of questioning on resource adequacy, capacity markets, offshore wind, PJM, NIMBYism, state relations with PJM and FERC, New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan and its aggressive goals and the state of thermal generation in the Garden State.

Later, we force the president to engage in a little political Catch-22 and force him to pick favorites among beloved New Jersey icons, after which he doles out some advice to another president whose tenure his own has far exceeded and finally urges everyone to follow his state’s bold lead in addressing climate change.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 22 (Morgan You Bargained For)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 22 (Morgan You Bargained For)

In which we sit down with Curt Morgan, the president and CEO of Vistra Corp., to discuss his investment philosophy in the power-generation business, the current investment status of generation technologies, how financial markets are disciplining the industry and leading the ESG revolution, the “terminal value” issue with gas-fired generation and why you never want to be the first owner of such a facility, gas pipelines’ dirty little secret, the reality of climate change, putting the power-industry transition into historical perspective, how PJM’s markets have performed, why power markets need to ditch some terminology as they add emissions to their list of must-haves, why carbon pricing and PJM’s MOPR are DOA and ERCOT turning gun-shy.

The GT Power Hour: Episode 21 (Bowring 2: The Monitor Is Always Watching)

The GT Power Hour: Episode 21 (Bowring 2: The Monitor Is Always Watching)

In which we welcome PJM Independent Market Monitor Joe Bowring into the illustrious GT Power Hour Two-Timers Club to continue discussion of the compelling comments fellow club-member FERC Chairman Glick made on the previous episode, and the Monitor - as he is wont to do - happily (and ably) complies. Brace for a deep dive on the minimum offer-price rule (MOPR) in the capacity market, why FERC wants it pared back, how PJM appears likely to respond, the interaction of capacity and energy markets and what can be done to transfer generators’ reliance on capacity-market payments to actual performance in energy and ancillary-services markets. Let’s just say the Monitor and the Chairman don’t see eye to eye on several things.

It’s a pretty meaty talk that doesn’t stray far from the issues at hand, but there is some ranting and commiseration on the misery of driving the I-76 Schuylkill Expressway. Better buckle up!

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!