Research that Informs Business and Public Policy- Addicted to Oil: U.S. Gasoline Consumption is Higher than Ever Lucas Davis
- I’m Not Really Down with Most Top Down Evaluations Maximilian Auffhammer
- Is the Regulatory Compact Broken in Sub-Saharan Africa? Catherine Wolfram
- If a Tree Falls in the Forest…Should We Use It to Generate Electricity? Meredith Fowlie
Author Archives: Severin Borenstein
Fixing a major flaw in cap-and-trade
While many Californians are spending August burning fossil fuels to travel to vacation destinations, the state legislature is negotiating with Gov. Brown over whether and how to extend the California’s cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases … Continue reading
Who’s Stranded Now?
Utility costs are like taxes. Everyone knows they have to be paid, but most people have a reason that their own share should be smaller. And, just as with taxes, there are limitless ways to divide up the revenue burden. … Continue reading
Is Distributed Generation the Answer to Regulatory Dysfunction?
One delightful aspect of teaching an MBA course in energy and environmental markets is getting together with my former students as they pursue careers in the industries I study. I learn so much about the latest trends and ideas in … Continue reading
Driving Taxes for the 21st Century
Both Max and Lucas have recently written on this blog about the need to price gasoline appropriately. I agree with them…mostly. I mean, how could I disagree with them? I’m the one driving the gray Prius with the license plate … Continue reading
Is “Community Choice” Electric Supply a Solution or a Problem?
Big news! If you live in California, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, or a few other states you may soon have the opportunity to ditch your local investor-owned utility and buy your electricity from a competing retailer. And in a few … Continue reading
Double Counting Virtue
If you’ve installed solar at your home and are now basking in the I’m-saving-the-planet warm glow, you may be in for a splash of ice water. There’s a good chance someone else has purchased your halo and is wearing it … Continue reading
Billing Tweaks Don’t Make Net Metering Good Policy
Just before Christmas, an administrative law judge at the California Public Utilities Commission put a shiny package with a big bow under the tree for distributed solar PV companies, and gave the state’s regulated utilities a lump of coal. That … Continue reading
Why are California’s Gasoline Prices So High?
“What?” you may be saying “Gas prices are lower than they have been in a long time.” That’s true, even in California, but that just reflects the collapse of world oil prices. And only partially. You see, while oil prices … Continue reading
