In 2014, ScottMadden joined forces with American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), a benchmarking and best practices research organization, to conduct a benchmarking study focused on human resources shared services. Read more about the study below and our insights from the results of the research.
In August 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the sixth iteration of the Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications. The study provides predictions on light-emitting diodes (LED) market penetrations and energy savings compared to conventional lighting. The DOE forecasts LED lighting will represent 84% of all sales by lumen-hours in 2030 (compared to 3% in 2013) and reduce energy consumption in the lighting sector by 40% compared to a “no-LED” scenario.
The German Energiewende (energy transformation) has been discussed in many academic and trade publications, all heralding either the transformational, unparalleled successes of the program, or else the dismal failure and shortsighted focus of politicians and policy makers in designing and executing the transition.
Since the May 2014 decision by the DC Court of Appeals (“EPSA decision” or “EPSA”), which vacated FERC Order No. 745 mandating that RTOs and ISOs compensate demand response resources at the same locational marginal price (LMP) as other energy products, a number of parties have advocated differing positions on how demand response should be handled. Most recently,
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Managing payroll for employees is one of the most routine and regular of administrative processes, but it also has the propensity to be one of the most complex, depending upon the size and global presence of the enterprise. Payroll is a key driver of employee confidence and satisfaction in an organization. When an employee’s paycheck is incorrect, it is a sensitive and immediate problem to solve.
Natural gas companies must balance significant challenges with ever-increasing expectations for service delivery and cost. ScottMadden’s operating model assessment has enabled our clients to understand the overall performance of their organizations and improve effectiveness, efficiency, compliance, and relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers.
Access this document for our methodology for evaluating the operating models of natural gas companies.
The outcomes of a business case can mean a make-or-break decision for moving forward with shared services. It is critical that you create a business case to understand your costs and savings opportunities and be able to demonstrate the benefits of this significant change to your organization. Additionally, the business case creates the baseline from which to measure your progress once you go live with the new model.
Shared services has come a long way since the early 90s when major corporations, such as Proctor and Gamble, adopted the approach to improve services and reduce overhead. Companies today are moving further to gain additional savings, capitalize on analytics, and leverage infrastructure by creating or consolidating services into multifunction shared services organizations.
Facing increasing cost pressure from low natural gas prices, regulatory pressure from federal, state, and local authorities, and long-standing operational performance challenges, a large multi-unit nuclear operator turned to ScottMadden for guidance and assistance to transform its operation into a more cost effective source of safe, reliable, and emission-free electricity generation.
The Energy Information Administration recently reported that energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States declined 15% in absolute terms from 2005 to 2013. Emissions were 27% lower in 2013 than were projected (based on 2005 demand growth and carbon intensity trends). Three fundamental changes in the electric power sector are driving the reductions: declining demand growth, ongoing switch from coal to less-carbon-intensive natural gas, and growth in non-carbon generation (e.g., solar and wind).
In September 2014, Lazard published its annual levelized cost of energy (LCOE) report. The analysis calculates the LCOE of renewable technologies in the absence of subsidies, such as the federal Investment Tax Credit or the Production Tax Credit. Lazard finds the LCOE of wind and utility-scale solar PV is competitive with coal and becoming competitive with combined cycle natural gas.
Mark Hand, senior editor at SNL Energy, recently conducted an interview with Chris Vlahoplus, partner and clean tech & sustainability practice lead at ScottMadden, and John Pang, partner at ScottMadden.
Sussex Economic Advisors is now part of ScottMadden. We invite you to learn more about our expanded firm. Please use the Contact Us form to request additional information.
