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Analysis of NERC Initial Reliability Review by The Brattle Group finds EPA Plan implementation is “unlikely to materially affect reliability.”

In November 2014, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued an “initial reliability review” in which it identified elements of the Clean Power Plan that could lead to reliability concerns. Echoed by some grid operators and cited in comments to EPA submitted by states, utilities, and industry groups, the NERC study has made reliability a critical issue in finalizing, and then implementing, the Clean Power Plan.    In order to gain insight on the issue, the Advanced Energy Economy Institute commissioned The Brattle Group, a leading consulting firm to utilities and grid operators, to conduct a critical review of the NERC study. Utility Dive covers this report in their study on how the CPP won’t hurt electric reliability: 

In November 2014, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued an “initial reliability review” in which it identified elements of the Clean Power Plan that could lead to reliability concerns. Echoed by some grid operators and cited in comments to EPA submitted by states, utilities, and industry groups, the NERC study has made reliability a critical issue in finalizing, and then implementing, the Clean Power Plan.    In order to gain insight on the issue, the Advanced Energy Economy Institute commissioned The Brattle Group, a leading consulting firm to utilities and grid operators, to conduct a critical review of the NERC study. Smart Grid News covered the report:

AEEI recently released an employment survey covering California's advanced energy industry. The survey, which is the first of its kind, reported that the Golden State is home to more than 40,000 businesses serving advanced energy markets, spanning the entire value chain and including a wide range of energy technologies that address both supply and demand. 

In AEE's recent webinar with the former FERC chair, Jon Wellinghoff expressed certainty that the Supreme Court would uphold FERC order 745. Katherine Tweed, writing for Greentech Media, reports:

“As President Obama delivers his State of the Union address tonight, Washington, D.C. is focused on the politics of conflict. Largely overlooked is the chance we have for a politics of prosperity. The U.S. economy is picking up steam. Falling prices of oil and natural gas are putting dollars back in the pockets of consumers, making American businesses more competitive, and accelerating economic growth. We need to take advantage of today’s low fuel prices to accelerate new energy solutions that protect us from the volatility of fuel costs, not kid ourselves into thinking those costs won’t go back up. Those new energy solutions are building an industry – a $170 billion industry in the U.S. The advanced energy industry also means jobs – more than 500,000 in California alone before this year is out. The politics of prosperity can give us a new politics of energy. Let’s not squander the opportunity.” 

Prior to President Obama's State of the Union Address, Graham Richard published a piece in The Hill's Congress Blog discussing the opportunities of advanced energy. Richard writes: 

In a blog post titled "Moving forward or backward, our choice," Rona Fried cites a recent AEEI study on advanced energy employment in California:

AEE was mentioned in this morning's Morning Energy from Politico. 

Pamela King, E&E reporter