2019 was a record year for the Mystery Surcharge, which is bad news for drivers and the state’s economy. If the price of gasoline stays inexplicably high and the media … Continue Reading California’s Mystery Gasoline Surcharge Strikes Back
The best customer response depends on how much utilities can reduce their frequency. The rains have arrived in California and wildfire season has ended, temporarily. But fire risks will be … Continue Reading Preparing for Next Year’s Power Shutoffs
Converting an investor-owned utility to a non-profit is no silver bullet. Wildfires, possibly sparked by electrical lines, are still burning here in California, and there is no rain in the … Continue Reading Would Non-Profit Utilities Cure What Ails California Electricity?
It will still be a headache, but doing a few simple things now can help. It looks like PG&E is going to shut off power in large parts of the … Continue Reading Some Suggestions for Getting Through a Power Shutoff
It won’t reduce energy use much, but it can fundamentally alter where that energy comes from. A decade ago, there seemed to be a Kumbaya trend in climate policy. Politicians … Continue Reading What Can Carbon Pricing Do?
Many factors go into electricity rate setting, but the economic guidance is short-run marginal cost. Economists can be so judgy. We don’t just study how the world is, like scientists, … Continue Reading Pricing for the Short Run
Appeals to equity don’t salvage the argument for demand charges. In the past, I have said some pretty unkind things about demand charges in electricity tariffs. Demands charges are fees paid … Continue Reading Are Demand Charges Fair?