The Husker Energy Plan: A New Energy Plan for Nebraska

Client: Nebraska Wildlife Federation (NeWF)

Liz Stanton, PhD, Tyler Comings, and Anna Sommer (Sommer Energy, LLC)

January 2018

On behalf of Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, together with Anna Sommer from Sommer Energy LLC, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) report regarding Nebraska's energy future. Sommer Energy and AEC were asked by the Nebraska Wildlife Federation (NeWF) to produce a plan envisioning an electric grid in Nebraska that relies more heavily on cost-effective wind, solar, and energy efficiency. This report looks at how Nebraska can expand reliance on renewables and invest more in energy efficiency, ultimately reducing the overall cost of electricity in the state and lower its carbon dioxide emissions.

Link to Report

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Benefits of Long-Term Renewable Contracts for Pennsylvania

Client: Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition (MAREC)

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Anna Sommer, Tyler Comings, and Rachel Wilson

December 2017

Pennsylvania’s 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act requires the Commonwealth’s electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers to purchase Tier I alternative energy credits (AEC) equal to 6 percent of their retail sales by 2017, rising to 8 percent in 2021. Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Anna Sommer of Sommer Energy, LLC, Tyler Comings and Rachel Wilson examined the potential benefits of longer term contracting (10 years and 20 years) for the renewables needed to meet one-half of AEPS as compared to the current practice of purchasing renewable generation and associated AECs at procurement auctions every six months. The conclude that, over a ten-year period from 2018 to 2028, 20-year renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) for one-half of Pennsylvania’s incremental AEPS requirement would save ratepayers $134 to $331 million. AEC updated price inputs to this analysis in July 2019 and found that renewable PPA costs would continue to compare favorably to auction prices.

Link to Policy Brief

Link to Report

Link to July 2019 Memo

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Economic Trends in Southern States

Client: Southern Environmental Law Center

Author: Tyler Comings

December 2017

Senior Researcher Tyler Comings developed a report looking at trends in jobs, income, GDP (among other metrics) for southern states. This report provided a discussion of each state's economy and the value of each economic metric reported.

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Atlantic Coast Pipeline: Economics and Manufacturing Jobs

Client: Natural Resources Defense Council

Rachel Wilson, Sagal Alisalad, Emrat Nur Marzan, and Bryndis Woods

December 2017

On behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Senior Researcher Rachel Wilson, Researcher Bryndis Woods, and Research Assistants Sagal Alisalad and Emrat Nur Marzan, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic report regarding the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline had been planned to travel through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina and was intended to bring natural gas to markets in those states. Dominion Transmission, Inc., the leading percentage owner of the pipeline, made several arguments in favor of the project based on reports it commissioned from ICF International and Chmura Economics & Analytics. In this report, AEC staff examined the merit of each of these claims and found them to be unsupported based on available data.

Link to Report News Coverage

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The Future of the Martin Drake Power Plant

Source: The Denver Post

Client: Green Cities Coalition and Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society

Tyler Comings and Bryndis Woods

November 2017

On behalf of Green Cities Coalition and Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared an Applied Economics Clinic report regarding the Martin Drake Power Plant. The Colorado Springs City Council has ordered that Martin Drake units 6 and 7 should be decommissioned no later than December 31, 2035, and that it would consider earlier dates. In response, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is evaluating 2025 or 2030 decommissioning for units 6 and 7. Based on the information available to us, we conclude that the CSU Board should consider Martin Drake for decommissioning earlier than 2035—and certainly prior to making large capital investments in the plant—due to: the plant's inefficiencies, more efficient competition both now and in the future, failure to adequately consider alternatives, the ability to rely on regional supply, and the health impacts associated with the plant's location in a city center.

Link to Report News Coverage

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Cost of Capital of Montana Natural Gas Utilities

Client: Montana Consumer Counsel

Authors: Tyler Comings and Hill Associates

October 2017 - November 2019

Senior Researcher Tyler Comings and Hill Associates evaluated the cost of equity capital for Montana Consumer Counsel in two rate cases. The testimony discussed current and future economic conditions and conducted several methods of estimating cost of equity capital of Montana Dakota Utilities and Energy West Montana.

Testimony on Entergy New Orleans' Request to Construct New Orleans Power Station

Client: Alliance for Affordable Energy

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

October 2017

On behalf of Alliance for Affordable Energy, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD submitted an Applied Economics Clinic testimony in Docket No. UD-16-02 providing an expert opinion as to whether or not Entergy New Orleans' request for a new power station to address their capacity deficit is reasonable, given alternative options to address any assumed capacity deficit and within the context of the City of New Orleans' climate regulations. Dr. Stanton concluded that Entergy New Orleans needs less capacity than it has reported, that the company has not considered a full set of alternatives to meet New Orleans' needs, and that the New Orleans City Council should wait to make a decision about the New Orleans Power Station until it has all information at hand.

Link to Stanton Testimony

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Review of Minnesota Utilities' Resource Planning

Client: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD

October 2017

On behalf of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Clinic Director and Senior Researcher Liz Stanton, PhD evaluated Minnesota's electric utilities' resource planning including Great River Energy's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and Minnesota Power's EnergyForward docket. Resource Plans 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 Minnesota 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.

An Analysis of Community Choice Energy for Boston

Client: Barr Foundation

September 2017

Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD and Bryndis Woods

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared an Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) report and policy brief to examine how Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs work. The report and policy brief also addressed commonly asked questions in order to inform efforts in the City of Boston to understand the implications of CCE programs, including the program’s costs to residents and businesses, impacts on renewable energy, and contributions to the City’s climate goal. Dr. Stanton presented the findings at the October 3, 2017 meeting of the Boston City Council. At the same meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the Community Choice Energy resolution. In November, AEC updated the findings with a one-pager document that shows that the average household participating in a CCE program will increase their savings, relative to their default utility service, from 2 percent in 2017 to 19 percent in 2018.

This report and policy brief are part of a series of AEC publications funded Barr Foundation examining how community choice energy (CCE) aggregation programs work and addressing commonly asked questions about Boston's proposed CCE program.

November 2017 Update

Link to Report

Link to Policy Brief

Link to Dr. Stanton's remarks to Boston City Council

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Ratepayer Impacts of ConEd’s 20-Year Shipping Agreement on the Mountain Valley Pipeline

Client: Environmental Defense Fund

Rachel Wilson, Tyler Comings, and Liz Stanton, PhD

September 2017

On behalf of Environmental Defense Fund, Senior Researchers Rachel Wilson and Tyler Comings, along with Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared an Applied Economics Clinic report to determine whether a 20-year contract for firm natural gas transportation on the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), entered into by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (ConEd), would result in unjust and unreasonable costs to the utility's ratepayers. Ms. Wilson, Mr. Comings, and Dr. Stanton found that recent new and expanded natural gas pipeline capacity has caused natural gas prices between regions to equilibrate, and that any expected benefit of the MVP contract was disappearing at the time that ConEd signed the transportation agreement. Narrowing basis differentials for natural gas across regions turned a net present value ratepayer benefit of more than $1 billion into an anticipated $630 million cost given current natural gas pricing. Costs of the transportation contract will be paid by New York ratepayers, and the New York Public Service Commission should consider ConEd's ownership interest in the pipeline when evaluating the cost of the agreement.

Link to EDF article citing AEC Report

Link to Report

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Testimony Regarding Natural Gas Price Hedging in Florida

Client: Sierra Club

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

August 2017

On behalf of Sierra Club, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD submitted testimony in Docket No. 20170057-EI. Dr. Stanton provided an expert opinion that the dramatic increase in natural gas investments have exposed Florida customers to price volatility and that greater investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency would have yielded extensive customer savings. She concluded that the exclusive use of financial hedges to control customer exposure to natural gas price volatility is not in the best interest of Florida consumers and that Florida utilities should instead evaluate and pursue generation diversity, especially through added solar and energy efficiency.

Link to Southeast Energy News Article Citing Stanton Testimony

Link to Stanton Testimony

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Testimony on Vectren Energy's (Indiana) Demand Side Management and Energy Efficiency Programs for 2016-2018

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

July 2017

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD submitted testimony in Cause No. 44927 DSM-4. Dr. Stanton provided an expert opinion as to whether or not Vectren Energy's (Indiana) 2017-2019 energy efficiency plan is reasonable under Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 412 (2015). She concluded that Vectren’s plan should be rejected as unreasonable until all recommendations given in her testimony are incorporated into Vectren's plan.

This testimony is part of a joint AEC and Anna Sommers LLC series of reviews of Indiana Demand Side Management plans on behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana.

Link to Stanton Testimony

Stanton and Sommer Working Paper

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Climate Change, Imperialism, and Democracy: Questions and Answers with Liz Stanton

July/August 2017

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD was interviewed in the July/August 2017 issue of Dollars & Sense Magazine addresses the ways that global climate change—and the unequal distribution of benefits and costs from greenhouse gas emissions—are related to global inequalities in wealth and power.

Link to Dollars & Sense Interview

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Declaration Regarding EPA's Stay of Effluent Limitation Guidelines

Client: Earthjustice

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2017

On behalf of Earthjustice, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided a decleration regarding EPA's April 2017 stay on the implementation of its Effluent Limitation Guidelines on Steam-Electric Generating Units. Earthjustice has filed litigation in this matter. Dr. Stanton's declaration stated that any delay in implementing the ELGs will result in harm to the public.  When implemented, the ELGs will have the immediate impact of reducing toxins in water and food consumed in the United States.  Delayed implementation of ELGs exposes human communities and natural environments to immediate, serious harm.

Link to Stanton Declaration

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Testimony on behalf of Residents of Brockton, West Bridgewater, and East Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Client: Alternatives for Community and Environment

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2017

On behalf of Alternatives for Community and Environment, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD submitted testimony to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution in the matter of Brockton Power's application to construct a new 350 megawatt natural gas power plant. Dr. Stanton's testimony demonstrated that the greenhouse gas emission limits set out in Brockton Power's revised application are not consistent with Massachusetts' compliance with its climate law, called the Global Warming Solutions Act.

Link to Stanton Testimony

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MPCA Consumption-Based Emissions

Client: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

June 2017

On behalf of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD assisted MPCA with its adaptation of the Consumption-Based Emissions Inventory (CBEI) for Minnesota. CBEI estimates the emission impacts of a state, county or city from the point of view of what is consumed in that jurisdiction (in contract to production-based or geographic-based inventories). While at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Dr. Stanton led the team that designed CBEI and implemented it for Oregon, King County (Washington), San Francisco, and California.

Review of Indiana Utilities' Integrated Resource Plans

Wildcat Wind Farm, Indiana

Client: Earthjustice

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD and Anna Sommer

March 2017

On behalf of Earthjustice, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Anna Sommer of Sommer Energy, LLC published three recent evaluations of Indiana electric utilities’ Integrated Resource Plans (IRP), which 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. Important issues found in reviewing Indiana utilities’ 2016 Plans include biases both against retiring coal generation and against adopting new efficiency measures and renewable resources.

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. 

Report on Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) 2016 IRP

Report on Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) 2016 IRP

Report on Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana (Vectren) 2016 IRP

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Triple Crisis Blog Posting: Casting Away Despair

April 2017

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD is transcribed in this blog post from when she gave a talk on climate change, politics and hope at a Brookline (MA) Climate Week event on April 1, 2017.

Link to Triple Crisis Blog Post

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Testimony on NIPSCO's Petition for CPCN Approval of Recovery for Environmental Compliance Measures

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

April 2017

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided testimony before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commissions in Cause No.44872 regarding Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) request to recover environmental compliance costs related to coal combustion residuals (coal ash).

Link to Stanton Testimony

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Analysis of the Economic Impacts of the Mariner East Pipeline

Client: Clean Air Council

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

April 2017

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided Clean Air Council with analysis regarding the economic need for new supplies of gas liquids carried by the Mariner East 1 & 2 pipelines. Sunoco Pipeline claims that the Pennsylvania public will benefit from the pipelines. Dr. Stanton assisted Clean Air Council in reviewing this claim including present and expected future supply and demand of gas liquids in Pennsylvania and, given this information, the extent to which new supplies of gas liquids can reasonably be expected to benefit the Pennsylvania public.