Electrification can have many benefits. These include higher efficiency (because of the refrigeration cycle and less waste heat), lower GHG emissions (due to an increasingly green grid), and many non-energy benefits (such as reduced indoor air pollution). However, these benefits are often not realized because of cheap natural gas. Known as the “spark gap,” the relatively lower cost of natural gas compared to electricity is a major barrier to replacing fossil fuel equipment with electric. Let’s peer into the spark gap and see how it can be overcome. Comparing Energy Source Prices The scatterplot below shows the average price of natural gas and electricity for…
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To say that 2025 has been chaotic in the energy sector is an understatement. From freezes of clean energy projects to cuts to funding and staffing of key government agencies to removal of publicly available data, the Trump administration has slashed our country’s ability to mitigate climate change. In addition to these attacks, Trump has also imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and many other countries. Notably, the tariffs include a 10% to 25% tariff on energy products from Canada. In response to the US economic aggression, Canada has called for a 25% surcharge on all electricity exported to the US.…
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Does more industrial energy efficiency lower energy prices for all? That is a partial title of a paper published at the 2015 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industryand the source of last week’s sassy DRIPE post ( DRIPE = demand reduction induced price effects). DRIPE is a measure of the value of efficiency delivered via downward pressure on energy prices, in this case, electricity prices. The ACEEE conference paper notes that industrial customers could help drive prices for everyone lower through greater demand response through real-time monitoring, smart technologies, and load visualization. This sounds like grid-interactive efficient buildings to…
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What do you envision from the word dripe? I think of boiling cowhides as feedstock for collagen peptides in the manufacture of gelatins used for deserts or your favorite mascara or lipstick. I was close on both counts. The word is tripe (not dripe), which is cow stomach, rather than cowhide. The holidays are on the doorstep, and you need appetizers, right? You’re welcome. Visit your local butcher, get some tripe, and get cookin’! DRIPE, the acronym, is demand reduction induced price effects. Do ya think somebody was trying to create a catchy acronym? Result: cow stomach. This post introduces…
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On the subject of electricity generation sources and price, I’ve been reading numerous articles from various bona fide sources and started connecting dots. Public Utilities Fortnightly (PUF) has written about historically low electricity prices, as a percent of GDP or household spending, numerous times in the past year. Electricity price escalation has not kept pace with the consumer price index. As of last August, Steve Mitnick, of PUF shared data, which I plotted on the chart below.A year ago, I wrote about this topic as well in Low Electricity Prices - For How Long?. In that post, I explained how…
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Over the weekend I was reading this white paper by ACEEE, and as almost always, a number of responses came to mind.With the passing of years I observe that as people age, they fall into perhaps three categories: (1) the curmudgeons - the glass is ¾ empty and don’t tell me it isn’t (2) cynical cranks with ideas and (3) Chrissy Snows. Engineers, for example, fall into the first two groups – or they go to law school, get into politics, and turn into a Chrissy Snow. Chrissy Snows, as with everyone, are mostly good people, but they live in…
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