Category Archives: Energy

EPIC Presents at Western Energy Policy Research Conference

Western Energy Policy Research Conference 2013 Scott Anders and Nilmini Silva-Send attended and presented at this 3rd Annual conference in Portland, Oregon, Sept 5-6, 2013. Scott Anders and Nilmini Silva-Send presented on a panel titled “Metropolitan and Regional Planning. ” … Continue reading →

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Water-Energy Nexus: City of San Diego

This is the second in a two-part series on the water-energy nexus and this post focuses on the City of San Diego. The previous post, discussed the energy and greenhouse gases associated with moving water in the state of California. Generally, … Continue reading →

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The Water-Energy Nexus in California

The water-energy nexus has been in the news since the California Energy Commission’s landmark finding in 2005, that water related energy uses account for about 19% of all electricity use and 30% of non-power plant natural gas use in the … Continue reading →

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Residential Rates Revisited – Part 3: Legislative Fixes

In Part 1 of this series was a brief retrospective of some of the antecedents of today’s discussion of residential rates in California.  In Part 2, we discussed in more detail the concept of inclining block rates, the policy rationale … Continue reading →

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Residential Rates Revisited – Part 2: Inclining Block Rates

Part 1 of this series provided a brief retrospective of some of the antecedents of today’s discussion of residential rates in California. We discussed AB 1x and its role in capping rates for consumption below 130% of baseline, we defined … Continue reading →

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Residential Electric Rates Revisited – Part 1: A Historical Perspective

Residential rates always seem to be in the news for one reason or another.  These days, residential rates are the subject of pending legislation (AB 327) and an ongoing rulemaking at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) (R.12-06-013). To help … Continue reading →

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Induced Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) – Background and Pending Legislation

This post provides a general background on fracking technology, the related environmental and safety concerns, and pending legislation. In an upcoming post, we’ll address the issues surrounding the vast Monterey shale deposit in California. Induced hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is … Continue reading →

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How many pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) does a gallon of gas produce?

Before answering this question it helps to first know how much a gallon of gasoline weighs. Gasoline has a weight of just over 6 pounds per US gallon. A natural guess could then be that about 6 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) … Continue reading →

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The Real Price of Gasoline

The price of gasoline varies over time and by region, and in many ways affects the lives of the majority of the global population. This post looks at what makes up the price of a gallon of gas and highlights … Continue reading →

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The MPG Illusion

Assume that you have two cars; an SUV and a compact car. Both cars are aging but you can only afford to replace one. Assume further, that like many families, you still require at least one car with a carrying … Continue reading →

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