(or “I Feel the Earth Move under My Feet” – with apologies to Carole King)

ScottMadden recently joined forces with Energy Central to present an interactive webinar, “State of the Energy Industry: A Mid-Year Review.” This session, moderated by Stuart Pearman, partner and energy practice leader at ScottMadden, was based on Continue reading →

The ScottMadden Energy Industry Update | August 2014

Just when you thought policy and regulation had begun to settle down, major changes are afoot—or at least proposed. Rules for organized power markets continue to be tweaked as is the LNG export application process. More fundamental changes have been proposed at the federal level, in the form of CO2 emissions regulation, and in at least one state (New York), which is looking at fundamentally changing the role of the local distribution utility. Read more below.

The ScottMadden Energy Industry Update | August 2014

Eventually, a tectonic shift causes change. A shifting generation mix—triggered by stricter environmental regimes (proposed and in effect) and continued cheap shale gas—is impending, with significant changes in the U.S. generation fleet expected in the next one to two years. Renewable and nuclear development continues, although some development is impacted by stop-go policy incentives. Meanwhile, gas infrastructure is under pressure to keep up as it becomes the power generation incremental fuel of choice. Read more below.

The ScottMadden Energy Industry Update | August 2014

Before last winter, few had heard of a polar vortex. But extreme weather events like last winter’s freeze harkened back to cold-weather events in the Southwest in 2011 and whether those lessons learned have been internalized by policymakers and the energy industry. Meanwhile, the western drought reminds us of how closely water and energy production are linked. Also, renewable energy in utility settings is growing up, or at least a maturity model can be articulated. Read more below.

ScottMadden recently sponsored and presented at Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) Strategic Issues Roundtable in Charleston, South Carolina. At this event, Stuart Pearman, partner and energy practice leader at ScottMadden, led a discussion on “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Distributed Resources,” examining the drivers and implications of business model changes due to distributed generation.