utilities

Essential Utility Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: A Roadmap to Utility Service as a Human Right

This brief was put together by several non-profit, advocating agencies for human rights. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new precarious conditions many households have been thrust into, agencies like the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and The Utility Reform Network (TURN), among...Read more

The historical–geographical construction of power: electricity in Eastern North Carolina

The attached paper analyzes the creation of the uneven distribution of electricity throughout Eastern North Carolina, tracing the history of the energy distribution from the introduction of utilities to now. The author dives into the different organizational structures of energy utilities, how...Read more

Peco plans hourly rates to encourage customers to shift energy use to off-peak periods

PA regulators have approved PECO’s plan to implement time-of-use rates for its customers, including both residential and commercial consumers. The hope is that some will shift electricity use to off-peak hours, during which rates of use will be discounted. The system has three price tiers...Read more

Utilities Propose First Regional Grid-Balancing Market in Southeastern US

Duke Energy, Dominion, and Southern Company all plan to trade electricity across state, which would make energy costs lower. This plan would also improve reliance on non-carbon-emitting power sources. The article goes into more details about the way energy is distributed across the United States...Read more

A tidal wave of utility shutoffs is coming: 34.5 millionhouseholds will lose shutoff protections in the next month: An impact analysis of changing utility shutoff moratoriums

This report was created by Carbon Switch, an energy efficiency investment company, that collected information on household energy bill accumulation and unemployment rates. Predictions made by the firm estimate a whooping 76 million households will be shut off or will be threatened with shutoffs...Read more

Utility customers owe up to $40B in COVID-19 debt, but who will pay it?

This article discusses the effects of the utility shutoff moratorium as a policy (an emergency policy) that had no vision for long term pay back. I did not count the number of times the phrase "keeing the lights on" was repeated, but I should have. The article also describes how different...Read more

Utah Community Renewable Energy Act

The attached document is a bill passed through Utah's state Senate that outlines their mission towards 100% renewable energy by 2030 through the use of Community Renewable Energy initiatives. There's no similar legislature throughout the U.S. (at least, that I can find) that legally...Read more

“Deflect, Delay, Defer”: Decade of Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Safety Pushback Preceded Disasters

The fires ravaging through California began as an electrical output started from PG&E, who stated they would take all necessary action to improve their equipment in other to avoid future outbreaks. However, their statement does not account for the past fires caused by faulty wiring and...Read more

Peco parent Exelon plans to separate into two firms: ‘Our customers expect us to continuously innovate’

This article describes Exelon's new plan to split its power generation operations from it's six utility companies; PECO is one of the six utilities. The utilities themselves are responsible for managing "the wires and networks to deliver power generated by competitive companies." The...Read more

Aspen's Path to 100% Renewable Energy

This artifact is an analysis of utility use by the city of Aspen Colorado and how they became one of the very few US cities to use solely renewable energy. This is important because it shows a successful example of a city in the US where the infrastructure has seamlessly transitioned to...Read more

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