Energy Systems Consulting Perspectives

While renewable energy and nuclear power often grab the headlines regarding the current electricity markets transformations, leaders across the industry recognize that electricity storage is the real game changer driving revolutionary change. While an increasingly decarbonized energy mix is oft the focus, smart money is on battery technologies being the key aspect to disrupt grids across the world.

A recent article posted on The Energy Collective titled “The U.S. Electricity System in 15 Maps” uses a series of maps to illustrate the diversity and complexity of the U.S. electric system as a foundation for understanding some of the conditions impacting the power industry. The maps highlight the regional variety that exists in the current generation mix, electricity prices, and the energy resources available, including wind, solar, natural gas and coal. Region-specific regulations such as renewable portfolio standards (RPS), the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and others add to the complexity of these markets and the difficulty of projecting how these markets will change in the next 10-20 years.