The authors examine ways in which disruptive technologies could potentially help improve power sector development in African countries. 

Mexico's electricity market has engaged in a deep reform process after decades of a state-owned, vertically integrated, noncompetitive closed industry. Using different modeling strategies, the authors of this paper analyze electricity transmission planning under the new industrial and institutional structure, which is characterized by a nodal pricing system and an independent system operator (ISO).

This conference report summarizes findings from a lecture by Diego Rodriguez for the event "From the 'What?' to the 'How?' in the Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges, Opportunities and Lessons Learned."

This paper reports the key climate change and public policy issues addressed by guest speakers during the 2014-15 Climate Lecture Series hosted by the Center for Energy Studies.

In this paper, author Peter Hartley examines the recent evolution of markets for LNG, focusing especially on the increasing amount of LNG being traded spot or under short-term contracts of less than four-years duration. Hartley argues that explanations for this increase, and other recent changes in LNG trading, imply that the proportion of LNG being traded under long-term contracts is likely to continue to decline and that the flexibility of long-term contracts for trading LNG is likely to continue to increase.

Speaking from the historic steps of Old North on the Georgetown University campus on June 25, 2013, President Obama unveiled a detailed plan to address the causes and impacts of climate change. In his words, the president promised, “I’m directing the Environmental Protection Agency to put an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from our power plants, and complete new pollution standards for both new and existing power plants.” Not quite a year later on June 6, 2014, Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, responded by proposing “state-specific rate-based goals for carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector, as well as guidelines for states to follow in developing plans to achieve the state-specific goals.”

Mexico’s 2013–2014 energy reform promises to bring the country’s economic drivers and regulatory institutions in line with the global practices of free market democracies. If successful, this development would be a 180-degree turn. The accomplishment of such realignment is hardly assured, however.

This testimony was delivered before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 12, 2013.

 

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Testimony of Kenneth B. Medlock III James A. Baker, III, and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, and Senior Director, Center for Energy Studies James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy Rice University To the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Washington, D.C. February 12, 2013

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I. Introduction

Even a cursory glance across the…