Time-of-use electricity rates can save consumers money and optimize renewable power. But they can backfire if not carefully designed.

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A notable feature of the U.S. electricity system is the disconnect between the cost of generating electricity and the prices most consumers pay for power at any given time. Flat-rate pricing, where consumers pay the same rate for power regardless of demand, discourages efficient electricity use, leading to increased strain on the grid. As concerns about reliability, cost, and climate impacts grow, efficient electricity use is more important than ever.

Kleinman Center Faculty Fellow Arthur van Benthem explores time-varying electricity rates, where prices change with demand, as an alternative to flat rate pricing. Van Benthem, a co-author of new research on the topic explains the potential of time-varying pricing to reduce grid costs and enhance renewable energy. He also explores the potential downside to such rates, which can fail to deliver expected benefits or even backfire if not designed with a focus on simplicity and usability.

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Should ‘Energy Hogs’ Shoulder More of the Utility Cost Burden? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/should-energy-hogs-shoulder-more-of-the-utility-cost-burden/

How Can We Improve the Efficiency of Electricity Pricing Systems? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/how-can-we-improve-the-efficiency-of-electricity-pricing-systems/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2023-2024 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 10th.

Climatologist Michael Mann discusses his new book on Earth’s climate past, with insights into our climate future.

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(This episode was recorded on September 14, 2023)

Renowned Penn climatologist Michael Mann’s latest book, “Our Fragile Moment,” explores the history of climate change and the lessons it can provide into the trajectory of climate change today. The book is Mann’s response to the phenomenon of “climate doomism” which, Mann writes, misrepresents the paleoclimate record to promote climate inaction. In the book, Mann seeks to set the paleoclimate record straight, and discusses how human agency remains our greatest tool in preventing the worst impacts of climate change.

Michael Mann is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. He is also a Faculty Fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.

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The Net-Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/

The Prospects for Pennsylvania as a RGGI Member https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-prospects-for-pennsylvania-as-a-rggi-member/

Accelerating Climate Action https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/accelerating-climate-action/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the month of August, we’re highlighting episodes from the 2023-2024 season of Energy Policy Now. We’ll be back with new content, and a new season, on September the 10th.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse discusses the prospects for bipartisan U.S. carbon border fee legislation, and the need to protect the Biden administration’s clean energy and climate achievements.

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(This episode was recorded on March 15, 2024, during Penn Energy Week)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has a reputation as an advocate for strong climate policies in Congress. The Rhode Island Democrat gained national attention over a decade ago when he gave the first of more than 290 “Time to Wake Up” climate speeches to date on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Many of the speeches were delivered at times when the prospects were bleak for significant leadership from Washington on climate and clean energy issues.

Yet the past three years have been very different. Through the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, most pointedly, the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress has made concrete steps to grow domestic clean energy and improve the nation’s climate resilience. Recently, Senator Whitehouse reintroduced a bill that would levy the first carbon border fee on goods imported to the U.S., and effectively reward American industry for its leadership in energy efficiency and emissions reductions.

On the podcast, Whitehouse discusses his plan for a carbon border adjustment. He also considers an upcoming election that will prove critical for continued progress, and that could jeopardize the full realization of recently passed energy and climate laws and the fate of the Biden administration’s related regulatory accomplishments.

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The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/

Advancing the Social License for Carbon Management in Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/advancing-the-social-license-for-carbon-management-in-achieving-net-zero-ghg-emissions/

Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two experts discuss the geopolitical risks of solar geoengineering and the need for global governance frameworks to prevent conflict.
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Solar geoengineering, the deliberate modification of Earth’s atmosphere to curb global warming, still seems like science fiction. However, research is progressing rapidly, and geoengineering’s potential implementation has drawn the attention of the United States Congress, which has mandated a research plan to explore its human and societal impacts.

On the podcast, two experts explore one of the least understood, but potentially weighty societal issues surrounding solar geoengineering, namely the potential for the technology to be the source of geopolitical tension and even war.

Scott Moore, Practice Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and Craig Martin, a specialist in public international law at Washburn University, discuss their forthcoming research that considers the uneven distribution of benefits and risks that would result from geoengineering, and how this might lead to conflict between countries. They also explore governance frameworks to help manage geopolitical tensions, if and when solar geoengineering is implemented.

Scott Moore is Practice Professor of Political Science, and Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives, at the University of Pennsylvania.

Craig Martin is a professor of law at Washburn University who specializes in public international law, in particular law pertaining to armed conflict and climate change.

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A New Era of Policy in Solar Geoengineering https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/a-new-era-of-policy-in-solar-geoengineering/

Advancing the Social License for Carbon Management in Achieving Net-Zero GHG https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/advancing-the-social-license-for-carbon-management-in-achieving-net-zero-ghg-emissions/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kleinman Center senior fellow Danny Cullenward examines the integrity, effectiveness, and climate impact of voluntary carbon markets.
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Last year, an investigation by the Guardian and Corporate Accountability found that most of the world’s largest carbon dioxide offset projects failed to deliver promised climate benefits. The report is among several questioning the integrity and effectiveness of voluntary carbon offset programs in achieving net-zero emissions and stabilizing global temperatures.

In 2023, voluntary offset programs attracted nearly $2 billion from companies aiming to offset emissions from factory operations to air travel. However, the outcome has been a crisis of confidence in these programs.

On this podcast, Danny Cullenward, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, explores the integrity challenges facing voluntary offset markets and their true climate impact. He also examines why governments hesitate to regulate these markets and discusses the role voluntary offsets can and should play in global climate efforts.

Danny Cullenward is a climate economist and lawyer, and a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. He also serves as Vice Chair of California’s Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee.

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Advancing the Social License for Carbon Management in Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/advancing-the-social-license-for-carbon-management-in-achieving-net-zero-ghg-emissions/

Will Hydrogen Energy Be Clean Energy? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/will-hydrogen-energy-be-clean-energy/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EPA's methane rules for the oil and gas industry will depend on new technologies to monitor and verify climate impacts.
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In December the Environmental Protection Agency introduced regulations to limit the amount of methane that escapes into the atmosphere from the oil and gas industry. In theory, the path to reducing emissions should be relatively straightforward. Efforts will focus on stopping the routine venting of methane from wells, and on the plugging of leaks from pipelines and other infrastructure.

Yet, for the new rules to be effective, emissions will need to be measured across vast and geographically dispersed oil and gas infrastructure. Likewise, data from many different monitoring technologies will need to be reconciled so that efforts to reduce climate impacts can be verified.

On the podcast Arvind Ravikumar, co-director of the Energy Emissions Modeling Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, and Kleinman Center Senior Fellow John Quigley explore the new rules governing methane emissions in the U.S., and the technological challenges surrounding compliance.

Arvind Ravikumar is co-director of the Energy Emissions Modeling Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.

John Quigley is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

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Can the Global LNG Market Support U.S. Export Ambitions?

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/can-the-global-lng-market-support-u-s-export-ambitions/

Advancing the Social License for Carbon Management in Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions

https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/advancing-the-social-license-for-carbon-management-in-achieving-net-zero-ghg-emissions/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natural gas market expert Anne-Sophie Corbeau explores the global outlook for LNG demand, and the potential for this demand to support the rapid expansion of U.S. LNG export capacity.
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The United States emerged as the leading global exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2023, surpassing long-standing leaders Qatar and Australia. Looking ahead, U.S. LNG exports are projected to double by the end of the decade as new export facilities are developed along the U.S. coastline.

This rapid expansion has intensified concerns regarding the environmental and community impacts of extensive LNG export projects. Additionally, the swift development of LNG projects raises questions as to whether the global market for natural gas, often referred to as a “bridge fuel”, will support substantial investment and long-term operation of new LNG projects.

Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a global research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, examines the future of global LNG demand and how it may support future supply additions in the U.S. She also discusses the potential for global LNG oversupply and factors that could affect the competitiveness of the U.S. industry in a potentially saturated market.

Anne-Sophie Corbeau is a global research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a former head of gas analysis at BP.

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Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/

Europe Confronts the Reality of Energy System Sabotage https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/europe-confronts-the-reality-of-energy-system-sabotage/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the nation’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel for electricity generation has grown, so have reliability challenges.

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Over 40% of U.S. electricity is generated by gas-fired powerplants yet, double the role the fuel played two decades ago. Yet the past few years have exposed risks arising from our growing reliance on gas-fired generation.

Major power outages in Texas and the Eastern U.S. have highlighted the fact that gas generators are vulnerable to disruption of the natural gas supply networks that fuel them. And, while the electricity and natural gas systems have become increasingly interdependent, there remains surprisingly limited coordination of the planning, operation, and regulation of the two industries. This fact complicates efforts to address reliability concerns.

Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University, discusses the challenge of coordinating the nation’s natural gas and electricity systems as gas has become the predominant fuel for generators, and a key balancing resource for intermittent renewable energy. Blumsack explains the growing interdependence of the nation’s natural gas and electricity networks, and explores efforts to address reliability concerns through better coordination of the systems.

Seth Blumsack is director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University.

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The Key to Electric Grid Reliability: Modernizing Governance https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-key-to-electric-grid-reliability-modernizing-governance/

Coordinated Policy and Targeted Investment for an Orderly and Reliable Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coordinated-policy-and-targeted-investment-for-an-orderly-and-reliable-energy-transition/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.