Massachusetts Non-Energy Benefits of Battery Storage

Client: Clean Energy Group

Authors: Bryndis Woods and Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2019

AEC-2019-03-WP-01

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, Researcher Bryndis Woods and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic white paper that presents the results of a preliminary assessment of seven non-energy benefits of battery storage. Currently, non-energy benefits of storage are not included in cost-benefit calculations for storage in Massachusetts—which has the same effect as assuming they have no value. We provide preliminary estimates of the value of seven non-energy benefits as a starting point for a discussion of how best to fully measure the advantages to Massachusetts of battery storage: avoided power outages, higher property values, avoided fines, avoided collections and terminations, avoided safety-related emergency calls, job creation, and less land used for power plants.

This white paper is part of a series of AEC publications on behalf of Clean Energy Group analyzing costs and benefits of battery storage in Massachusetts.

Link to White Paper

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Updated Massachusetts Battery Storage Measures: Benefits and Costs

Client: Clean Energy Group

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2019 Update

AEC-2019-03-WP-02

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an update to the Applied Economics Clinic’s July 2018 white paper on the same topic. Dr. Stanton assessed the cost-effectiveness of battery storage in Massachusetts, using the Massachusetts' efficiency program administrators' benefit-cost ratio methodology and found that both single- and multi-family batteries are found to be cost effective.

This white paper is part of a series of AEC publications on behalf of Clean Energy Group analyzing costs and benefits of battery storage in Massachusetts.

Link to White Paper Update

Link to Project Page

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Testimony in NIPSCO's 2019 Rate Case

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2019

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided written testimony in Cause No. 45159 to respond to specific critiques of North Indiana Public Service Company's 2018 Integrated Resource Plan, offered by Indiana Coal Council Emily Medine, Indiana Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Electricity witness Charles S. Griffey, and Peabody COALSALES LLC witness Michael J. Nasi.

Link to Comments

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Testimony on NIPSCO's Petition for Approval of Jordan Creek Wind Farm PPA

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2019

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided written testimony in Cause No. 45195 on the consistency of Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with acquiring a renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) with Jordan Creek Wind Farm. Dr. Stanton testified that the Jordan Creek PPA is consistent with NIPSCO's 2018 IRP, and that it is also consistent with the timing for procuring wind resources in the IRP's preferred portfolio.

This testimony is one of three AEC testimonies on three Indiana utility commission dockets (two filed and one upcoming) on behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, pertaining to Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) proposed acquisition of wind energy through power purchase agreement (PPA) and/or joint ownership. 

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Testimony on NISPCO's Petition for Approval of Roaming Bison Wind Farm PPA

From Roaming Bison website

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2019

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided written testimony in Cause No. 45196 on the consistency of Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with acquiring a renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) with Roaming Bison. Dr. Stanton testified that the Roaming Bison PPA is consistent with NIPSCO's 2018 IRP, and that it is also consistent with the timing for procuring wind resources in the IRP's preferred portfolio.

This testimony is one of three AEC testimonies on three Indiana utility commission dockets (two filed and one upcoming) on behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, pertaining to Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) proposed acquisition of wind energy through power purchase agreement (PPA) and/or joint ownership. 

Link to Testimony

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Comments on Xcel Energy Minnesota's 2018 Mankato Proposal

Photo of Mankato Energy Center from POWER Engineering news article

Client: Sierra Club

Authors: Sierra Club with assistance from AEC (Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Eliandro Tavares)

March 2019

On behalf of Sierra Club, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares assisted with comments on Xcel Minnesota's proposal to acquire the Mankato natural gas plant. The Sierra Club concluded that the proposal should be denied because it was not economically justified and ran counter to the utility's greenhouse gas emission goals.

Link to Comments

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Duke Energy Integrated Resource Plans in North Carolina

Client: Southern Environmental Law Center

Authors: Tyler Comings, Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Eliandro Tavares

March 2019

Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Researcher Bryndis Woods, Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a report on Duke Energy's 2018 Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) in North Carolina on behalf of Southern Environmental Law Center and its clients, Natural Resources Defense Council, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the Sierra Club. AEC concluded that Duke has failed to evaluate the economics of its coal units, even though many are operating infrequently, and has not encouraged competition from other resources. As a result, AEC found Duke's plans to be flawed and incomplete.

Link to Review

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Evaluation of Northern Indiana Public Service Company's 2018 Integrated Resource Plan

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods, Anna Sommer, and Chelsea Hotaling

March 2019

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Researcher Bryndis Woods, and Anna Sommer and Chelsea Hotaling with Sommer Energy, LLC, published an evaluation of Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) 2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). IRP's are filed with the Utility Commission to demonstrate that utilities’ decisions to retire and/or add electric generation resources are in the public interest. While technical, these evaluations provide an important benefit to utility customers and the Indiana public more widely. Third-party review of these and other utilities filings is critical to vet for errors, uncover questionable or self-serving assumptions, and make hidden value-judgments transparent. We commend NIPSCO's IRP proposal to retire its remaining coal-fired generating units by 2028 and replace all its coal capacity with renewable capacity, and acknowledge the substantial leadership demonstrated by NIPSCO in its current IRP analysis including: conducting an all-source Request for Proposals for new generation capacity, transparently discussing its model input forecasts, outputs and assumptions, and good-faith engagement with stakeholders.

This testimony is part of a joint AEC and Anna Sommers LLC series of comments on Indiana utility Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) on behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana and Earthjustice. 

Link to Evaluation

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Testimony Regarding the Joint Statewide Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan for Massachusetts, 2019-2021

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

November 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Researcher Liz Stanton provided testimony regarding the joint statewide three-year energy efficiency plan for Massachusetts for years 2019 to 2021. The testimony provided an independent review of the petitions filed by the Massachusetts gas and electric energy efficiency program administrators to assess their consistency with the Green Communities Act (GCA), the Global Warmings Solutions Act (GWSA), and other prior Department Orders.

This report is one of three AEC publications on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation and other stakeholders in the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council.

Link to Testimony

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Performance-Based Incentives for Gas Utilities

Client: Gas Leak Allies

Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Ricardo Lopez, PhD

November 2018 - Present

Researcher Bryndis Woods, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Senior Researcher Ricardo Lopez, PhD, are preparing a policy brief on Massachusetts' natural gas utilities. The brief will analyze how Massachusetts' natural gas utilities currently receive compensation, the inconsistencies between utilities' incentives and the Commonwealth's legally mandated emission reductions, and the performance-based incentives that can align gas utilities' business interests with their responsibility to reduce emissions.

Analysis of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Project

Client: Appalachian Voices

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Ricardo Lopez, PhD, and Eliandro Tavares

November 2018 - Present

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Ricardo Lopez, PhD, and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares, are preparing a report analyzing the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate Project. The report will examine: the need for the MVP Southgate pipeline to meet future demand for natural gas, the economic benefits claimed by MVP Southgate in its filings, and the economic costs or externalities to local communities

Review of Proposed CAFE and CO2 Standards

Client: California Attorney General Office and California Air Resources Board

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Ricardo Lopez, PhD and Bryndis Woods

October 2018

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On behalf of the state of California Attorney General's office and the California Air Resources Board, this Applied Economics Clinic white paper assessed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) August 2018 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding “The Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks”. If approved, the Proposed Rulemaking would revise CAFE and CO2 standards, making them less stringent. Clinic Director and Senior Economist, Liz Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Ricardo Lopez, PhD, and Researcher Bryndis Woods found that several of NHTSA/EPA's assumptions and conclusions are unfounded.

Link to White Paper

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Report on Indiana’s 2018 Draft Statewide Analysis of Future Resource Requirements for Electricity

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Authors: Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, Ricardo Lopez, PhD, Bryndis Woods, and Tanya Stasio of the Applied Economics Clinic and Anna Sommer of Sommer Energy, LLC

September 2018

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana for use in its comments on the Draft Statewide Analysis, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, along with members of the Applied Economics Clinic staff created pursuant to the Indiana Code Title 8, Article 1, Chapter 8.5, this AEC report compares the Draft Statewide Analysis to: 1) the Statutory Mandate (Indiana Code Ch. 8-1-8.5), and 2) to the IURC Director’s Comments and Suggestions.

Link to Report

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Comment on August 2018 Analysis of the Avoided Costs of Compliance of the MA GWSA

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

September 2018

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, reviewed a recent study of the Massachusetts-specific cost of complying with the Global Warming Solutions Act. The study, released in August 2018 as a supplement to the Avoided Energy Supply Component in New England: 2018 Report, finds a Massachusetts carbon cost of $35 per ton of carbon dioxide (plus the cost of energy supply). Dr. Stanton supports this assessment while updates and critiques for implementation in future assessments.

Link to Publication

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Massachusetts Comprehensive Energy Plan: Comments on Stakeholder Meeting Presentation

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

July 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, reviewed draft assumptions for Massachusetts 2018 Comprehensive Energy Plan modeling and produced a memo reviewing these assumptions. This memo was submitted as an attachment to Conservation Law Foundations comments on the Plan.

Link to Memo

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Review of Massachusetts Efficiency Program Administrator's April 2018 Draft 2019-2021 Energy Efficiency Plan

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

July 2018

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On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic white paper of Massachusetts efficiency program administrator's April 2018 draft 2019-2021 energy efficiency plan. The detailed review and assessment included testing the sensitivity of the Plan's benefit-cost ratios to changes in assumptions regarding the cost of carbon emissions and the value of non-energy benefits to low-income households.

This report is one of three AEC publications on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation and other stakeholders in the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council.

Link to White Paper

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Massachusetts Battery Storage Measures: Benefits and Costs

Client: Clean Energy Group

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

July 2018

AEC-2018-07-WP-02

On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic white paper. Dr. Stanton assessed the cost-effectiveness of battery storage in Massachusetts, using the Massachusetts' efficiency program administrators' benefit-cost ratio methodology and found that both single- and multi-family batteries are found to be cost effective.

This white paper is part of a series of AEC publications on behalf of Clean Energy Group analyzing costs and benefits of battery storage in Massachusetts.

Link to White Paper

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Massachusetts' Clean Energy Policy Overview

Client: Barr Foundation

Authors: Bryndis Woods, Nina Schlegel, and Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2018

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Researchers Bryndis Woods and Nina Schlegel, along with Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic policy brief which detailed Massachusetts’ history of leadership in clean electric-sector policies. Beginning in the 1980s, through the electric “restructuring” laws and regulations of the 1990s, and then the 2008 Green Communities Act and Global Warming Solutions Act, Massachusetts policy-makers have laid the groundwork for today’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adding diversity to New England’s electric generating resources.  The 2018 ‘Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future’ continues this work, calling for accelerated renewable energy requirements, offshore wind and battery storage targets, and less stringent limits on rooftop solar installations.

Link to History of MA Energy Sector Policy Brief

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Massachusetts Clean Energy Bill Provisions Boost Jobs and Strengthen the State's Economy

Client: Barr Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD, and Tyler Comings

June 2018

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Senior Researcher Tyler Comings prepared an Applied Economics Clinic policy brief discussing the pending 2018 ‘Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future’, which includes a range of provisions to address climate change while strengthening the state’s innovation economy. The act includes accelerating renewable energy targets, creating aggressive offshore wind and battery storage goals, and removing limits on rooftop solar. Dr. Stanton and Mr. Comings' study of the economic impacts of these policies found benefits for Massachusetts including new jobs, a stronger economy, more renewable resources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, these policies would have little or no effect on consumers’ electric bills through 2030.

Link to Findings Policy Brief

Link to Project Page

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An Analysis of the Massachusetts 2018 'Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future' Report

Client: Barr Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD, Tyler Comings, Rachel Wilson, Sagal Alisalad, Emrat Nur Marzan, Nina Schlegel, Bryndis Woods, Jason Gifford, Edward Snook, and Po-Yu Yuen

June 2018

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, along with members of the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) staff and members of Sustainable Energy Advantage's staff, prepared an AEC report analyzing the Massachusetts 2018 “Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future”. The act includes a range of provisions to address climate change while strengthening the state’s innovation economy, including accelerating renewable energy targets, creating aggressive offshore wind and battery storage goals, and removing limits on rooftop solar. AEC and Sustainable Energy Advantage's study of the economic impacts of these policies found benefits for Massachusetts: new jobs, a stronger economy, more renewable resources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, these policies would have little or no effect on consumers’ electric bills through 2030.

Link to Report

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