Public Power Underground Ari Peskoe Ranks Governance, Footprint, and Market Design
Jul 11, 2024
Ari Peskoe, Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law, dives deep into the intricacies of U.S. power sector regulation. He critiques existing governance structures of electric utilities and argues for modernized frameworks to foster innovation. The discussion sheds light on incentive regulation and procedural justice, emphasizing transparency and stakeholder engagement. Peskoe humorously compares stagnant monopolies in the industry to the Jedi Council, underlining the urgent need for reform amidst climate challenges.
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RTO Governance
- Ari Peskoe likes RTOs in theory because of their independent, technocratic operation.
- He criticizes their governance in practice, citing incumbent utilities' undue influence.
Utility Resistance to DERs
- Ari Peskoe's skepticism towards utilities stems from their past resistance to distributed energy resources (DERs).
- He cites a 2012 Edison Electric Institute paper that outlined strategies to stifle DER growth.
Strategic Importance of Transmission
- Transmission control allows influence over power generation and market dynamics.
- Ari Peskoe argues that utilities leverage this control, impacting system operation and expansion.