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Episode 1 - The Electric Utility Business Model
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When it comes to transitioning the electricity system, we are constrained by public policy choices and investment decisions made over the last 100 years. The past decisions have given us the infrastructure, ownership structure, regulatory process, and debts that define how we produce and use electricity. Today, we are poised to further electrify our energy use which will layer investments onto a system already at cross purposes with fundamental goals of transition to a more distributed and open system.
It begs the question: Could we better align our social goals and the goals of the monopoly owners of the electricity system? Could we, in a sense, all be rowing in the same direction? Or is the regulated monopoly system ultimately inadequate to address the challenges and take the best advantage of the opportunities present in a clean energy transition?
With these questions in mind, we’ll begin the conversation with Andrew Kell, Policy Director at Renew Wisconsin. We’ll take a deep dive into utility regulation, and we’ll discuss regulatory strategies that enable DERs and local, clean energy development as central to the energy transition in the Midwest. We cover a lot of territory so grab a coffee and get comfortable.
0:19 – Nick overviews the history of electric utility ownership, construction, and investment
6:56 - Nick overviews transitioning to a DER-based electric grid model
10:14 – Andrew shares primary recent trends we see emerging in the energy transition
11:36 – Pros and cons of a privately investor-owned utility model
14:00 – How utilities garner investment and build infrastructure
16:00 – Motivations of the PSC, IOUs, and other stakeholders
19:00 – How does the PSC set tariffs for different ratepayers
34:04 - Construction and rate cases before the PSC
37:40 – The value of an integrated resource plan
45:26 - How municipal and cooperative utilities differ from IOUs
54:44 - State legislation’s impact on energy markets and infrastructure
1:01:32 – Wisconsin's “Grand Bargain” energy regulatory environment
1:08:43 – Community solar in Wisconsin
1:05:09 - MISO and wholesale energy markets
1:21:56 – Review and paths forward
1:36:07 – Zero carbon future by 2050 study
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