By Nina Callanan, Managing Director of Marketing & Communications
With the new year on the horizon, join us for a quick look back on 2023 as we revisit some of the content that we created with you in mind. CES Insights is a dedicated space where we continue our commitment of sharing industry news and expertise with our clients and friends. This content focuses on client questions and needs and pertinent energy topics of the day – another way we support and inform our clients on subject matter that impacts their business operations. It’s an exciting time for us as we continue to do what we do best - listen to our clients’ needs and questions, while measuring what we hear against fluctuations in the energy market and external environment – and advising accordingly.
Below are links to some of our most frequently read CES Insights blogs of 2023:
Hydrogen – Poised for Growth
By Andy Price, President & COO
Just like the arrival of spring, hydrogen is getting a lot of attention these days. In his blog titled “Hydrogen: Poised for Growth,” CES President & COO, Andy Price outlines why hydrogen is positioned for rapid expansion in the U.S. and Europe, at its root inspired by incentives, technology, and demand. Read more by clicking the link below.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/hydrogen-poised-for-growth
An Update from a (Mostly) Electrified Home
By Eben Perkins, Vice President, Consulting
Interested in electrifying your home? Look no further than this CES Insights blog titled “An Update from a (Mostly Electrified Home,” penned by CES’ Eben Perkins, Vice President, Consulting. In this blog piece, Eben shares the story of his family’s efforts to electrify their home in South Portland, Maine, including making energy efficiency improvements, installing an air-source heat pump system, and purchasing an electric vehicle. The blog details how these measures have impacted energy costs for the Perkins’ household, other adventures along the way – and may prove helpful as you consider similar upgrades. Read more by clicking the link below.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/an-update-from-a-mostly-electrified-home
Beneficial Electrification and Rate Deign: Expanding the Electricity Grid
By Matt Gamache, Vice President, Analytics & Operations
Curious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and electrifying fossil fuel-based sources of emissions, such as replacing fossil fuel heating with heat pumps and shifting the transportation sector toward electric vehicles? In this CES Insights blog titled "Beneficial Electrification and Rate Design: Expanding the Electricity Grid," Matt Gamache, Vice President, Analytics & Operations dives into the topic of beneficial electrification, which is gaining momentum – a result of new incentives and falling technology costs. Read more by clicking the link below.
REC Markets & Trends
By Simon Pritchard, Managing Director of Analytics and Tarik Cetin, Senior Energy Analyst
REC Markets and related trends are the focal point of this CES Insights blog titled "REC Markets & Trends," co-written by Simon Pritchard, Managing Director of Analytics and Tarik Cetin, Senior Energy Analyst. RECs were first established in the United States to meet the need for greater renewable energy development in order to expand the share of clean sources in the energy mix, thereby reducing the nation’s contribution to climate change. In this article, Simon and Tarik outline Compliance Markets and Voluntary Markets, types of RECs and requirements across the U.S., the attractiveness of owning RECs, and the opportunities that exist for individuals and businesses. Read more by clicking the link below.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/rec-markets-trends
Municipal Ordinance: The Next Wave of Compliance?
By Sandy Beauregard, Director of Sustainability Services
The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change mitigation adopted in 2015, aims to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2˚C above pre-industrial levels and encourages efforts to limit warming to 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) found that limiting global warming to 1.5˚C is necessary to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change. The AR6 Synthesis Report released by the IPCC in March 2023 warned that urgent action is needed and that emissions need to be reduced by nearly half by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5˚C and “secure a livable future for all.” In this CES Insights blog titled “Municipal Ordinance: The Next Wave of Compliance,” CES' Sandy Beauregard, Director of Sustainability Services, discusses building operations and energy use, beneficial electrification and deep decarbonization, RPS requirements, renewable energy credits, renewable energy targets, REC supply, the next wave of compliance, and more. Read more by clicking the link below.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/municipal-ordinance
2023 ISO-NE Peak Load Hour and CES Self-Help Program Recap
By Andy Price, President & COO
In this CES Insights blog, Andy Price, CES’ President & CEO, recaps the 2023 ISO-NE Peak Load Hour (and the CES Self-Help Program), in what was an unusual summer in New England. Read more about the late summer heat and resulting September peak day and hour and what that means for cap tags for June 2024 – May 2025. Read more by clicking the link below.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/2023-iso-ne-peak-load-hour-and-ces-self-help-program-recap
Winter Weather Forecast: Bearish or Bullish?
By Max Webb, Managing Director of Pricing and Zack Hallock, Senior Energy Services Advisor
With the cold weather season upon us, CES’s Max Webb, Managing Director of Pricing and Zack Hallock, Senior Energy Services are back with a winter weather forecast for 2023-24 and its possible influence on energy prices. In their blog titled “Winter Weather Forecast: Bearish or Bullish?,” Max and Zack cover the La Niña to El Niño transition, Sudden Stratospheric Warming, and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Three Month Outlooks – and the bullish or bearish market conditions that could result from any combination of weather and world factors.
https://www.competitive-energy.com/blog/winter-weather-forecast-bearish-or-bullish
Looking Ahead to 2024
CES continues to hold true to its mission and purpose of providing strategic energy management services for our clients to suit their unique needs. As independent energy experts, CES enables clients to achieve their energy and sustainability goals. We take great pride in being innovative and providing our clients with customized services that take into consideration their unique requirements. Our story is our independence, our market expertise, and our focus on being long-term trusted partners to our clients.
We look forward to 2024 and to sharing the latest news and information about the energy market. More to come!
Photos (from top)
(1) Danielle Levis, (2)Anthony Rampersad, (3) Danil Silantev, (4) Karsten Wurth, (6) Bruno Abatti, (7)Oleksandr Akulenko