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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The Performance of Indiana Utilities’ Energy Efficiency Programs

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Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Bryndis Woods and Nina Schlegel

June 2018

On behalf of the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Researchers Bryndis Woods and Nina Schlegel prepared a policy brief that compares the energy efficiency programs of five investor-owned utilities in Indiana: Duke Energy, Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M), Indianapolis Power and Light Company (IPL), Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), and Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Company d/b/a Vectren Energy Delivery (Vectren). The policy brief presents side-by-side comparisons of Indiana’s investor-owned electric utilities’ sales, energy efficiency savings and program costs from 2012 to 2019. This brief serves as a companion to two forthcoming Applied Economics Clinic publications that investigate the impact of two Indiana legislative developments: the 2014 repeal of its energy efficiency program through passage of the Senate Enrolled Act 340 and the approval of its Transmission Distribution and Storage Improvement Charge (TDSIC) state statute, which was passed in 2013 with the Senate Enrolled Act 560.

This policy brief is one of two AEC publications on behalf of Citizens Action Coalition and Energy Foundation that investigate the impact of Indiana's 2014 repeal of its energy efficiency program through passage of the Senate Enrolled Act 340.

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Energy Snapshots for Governor's Accord States

Clients: The Governor's Accord for a New Energy Future

Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, and Bryndis Woods

May 2018

On behalf of The Governor’s Accord for a New Energy Future, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Researcher Bryndis Woods conducted a pilot analysis of energy resources and energy markets for some of the Governors’ Accord for a New Energy Future's 17 member states. The pilot analysis provided information on each state’s energy market, including its defining characteristics, future potential for growth, key economic trends, and clean energy and energy efficiency policy coverage.

The ABCs of Boston CCE

Client: Barr Foundation

Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Bryndis Woods

March 2018

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared a series of four policy briefs related to Boston's new Community Choice Energy Aggregation (CCE) program:

Boston CCE and Electric Costs: Describes the expected impact of Boston's new CCE program on electric customer costs.

Boston CCE and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Describes the greenhouse gas emission reductions expected to result from Boston's new CCE program.

Boston CCE and State Clean Energy Laws: Provides a comparison of Boston CCE, the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Standard.

Sourcing Green Energy for CCE Programs: Provides an overview of current CCE programs in Massachusetts and around the United States including a discussion of the different methods used to source their green energy.

These policy briefs 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.

Minnesota Power EnergyForward Testimony

Client: Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Fresh Energy

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

March 2018

Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD submitted testimony in Minnesota PUC Docket No. E-015/GR-17-568 regarding Minnesota Power's petition for approval of its EnergyForward Resource Package critiques the Company's future load and energy requirements, and its estimates of the capacity required for the system.

Link to Direct Testimony

Link to Surrebuttal

Accessing Energy Efficiency in Massachusetts

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD, Emrat Nur Marzan and Sagal Alisalad

February 2018

On behalf of the Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Research Assistants, Emrat Nur Marzan and Sagal Alisalad, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) report that investigates how well Massachusetts' energy efficiency programs are reaching under-served communities and hard-to-reach families. In 2017, Massachusetts' "Mass Save" energy efficiency programs ranked number one in the annual efficiency scorecard produced by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for the seventh consecutive year. Mass Save's ranking is not, however, a good indicator of whether or not low-income households are getting the services they need. At present, it is not possible to answer this question completely because Mass Save program administrators have access to - but do not include in publicly available statistics - information regarding low-income households, under-served communities and hard-to-reach families. Working with limited data, AEC found that there are substantial differences in energy savings among Massachusetts’ towns, and lower-income communities are receiving lower efficiency savings. This report presents maps and other figures showing differences in efficiency savings, income, and other community characteristics like language abilities and renter status for both Massachusetts towns and neighborhoods within Boston.

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

News Coverage: Barr Foundation Blog Post

News Coverage: Sampan Newspaper

Link to Maps

Link to Report

Link to Data

Link to AEC/CLF Webinar

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Testimony on Eversource Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Agreement Application

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD

February 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided an Applied Economics Clinic testimony in Docket No. D.P.U-17-175 provides an expert opinion as to whether or not Eversource Energy's application for natural gas transportation agreements are consistent with the Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies. Dr. Stanton concludes that Eversource Energy does not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that their proposed natural gas transportation contracts align with their shared objective to provide the least-cost supply and demand resource mix.

This testimony is one of four on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation that examined the consistency of the applications with each Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered, and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies.

Link to Dr. Stanton's Testimony

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Testimony on National Grid's Natural Gas Transportation Agreement Application

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD

February 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided an Applied Economics Clinic testimony in Docket No. D.P.U-17-174. Dr Stanton provided an expert opinion as to whether or not National Grid's application for natural gas transportation agreements are consistent with the Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies. She concluded that National Grid does not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that their proposed natural gas transportation contracts align with their shared objective to provide the least-cost supply and demand resource mix.

This testimony is one of four on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation that examined the consistency of the applications with each Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered, and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies.

Link to Dr. Stanton's Testimony

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Testimony on Columbia Gas of Massachusetts' Natural Gas Transportation Agreement Application

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD

February 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided an Applied Economics Clinic testimony in Docket No. D.P.U-17-172. Dr Stanton provided an expert opinion as to whether or not Columbia Gas of Massachusetts' application for natural gas transportation agreements are consistent with the Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies. She concluded that Columbia Gas of Massachusetts does not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that their proposed natural gas transportation contracts align with their shared objective to provide the least-cost supply and demand resource mix.

This testimony is one of four on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation that examined the consistency of the applications with each Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered, and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies.

Link to Dr. Stanton's Testimony

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Testimony on The Berkshire Gas Company's Natural Gas Transportation Agreement Application

Client: Conservation Law Foundation

Liz Stanton, PhD

February 2018

On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, provided an Applied Economics Clinic testimony in Docket No. D.P.U-17-145. Dr. Stanton provided an expert opinion as to whether or not The Berkshire Gas Company's application for natural gas transportation agreements are consistent with the Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies. She concluded that The Berkshire Gas Company does not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that their proposed natural gas transportation contracts align with their shared objective to provide the least-cost supply and demand resource mix.

This testimony is one of four on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation that examined the consistency of the applications with each Company's energy portfolio objectives, the adequacy of alternatives considered, and the consistency with Massachusetts state environmental policies.

Link to Dr. Stanton's Testimony

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Missed Opportunities for Energy Efficiency in Virginia

Client: Consumers Union (CU)

Liz Stanton, PhD, Rachel Wilson, and Bryndis Woods

February 2018

On behalf of Consumers Union, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Rachel Wilson, and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared a report that investigates the impact of various levels of energy efficiency on electric rates and bills of Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion) customers. Dominion is asking state utility regulators to approve billions of dollars in new spending to increase nuclear and natural gas capacity over the next 10 years in order meet its forecast for future energy demand. These costs would be passed on to consumers in the form of substantially higher utility bills. Applied Economics Clinic found that by investing in energy efficiency, Dominion customers would enjoy lower rates and bills while future energy demand would be met with fewer than half of the new power plants currently proposed by Dominion.

News Coverage: UtilityDive

News Coverage: WHSV3 News

Link to Report

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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

Link to Report

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The Future of the Martin Drake Power Plant

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

Link to Report

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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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