The hottest Utilities Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

The Birth of the Grid

Construction Physics • 19834 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Energy Infrastructure Innovation History Utilities
  1. Electricity transitioned from a rare luxury to a critical aspect of modern life in a short period of time.
  2. The development of high-voltage transmission lines allowed for long-distance power transmission and the creation of interconnected power systems.
  3. The electric power industry grew by embracing scale, cooperation, and regulation to meet increasing demand and ensure reliability.

Should regulated utilities be prevented from owning EV charging assets?

Knowledge Problem • 196 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
💼 Business Regulation Competition Utilities Infrastructure Innovation
  1. The default presumption should be to quarantine the monopoly in regulated utilities owning EV charging assets to prevent anti-competitive practices.
  2. Regulated utilities entering competitive EV charging markets may have unfair advantages by leveraging their regulated status.
  3. Allowing regulated utilities to own EV charging assets could stifle innovation and competition in the market compared to independent firms.

Dear governments - stop listening to whining utilities

Jérôme à Paris • 437 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
💼 Business Utilities Government Renewable Energy Regulations Lobbying
  1. Utilities lobbying for special favors can be seen as tactics to pressure governments for more favorable terms.
  2. Increased costs in the wind industry are real and partly a result of business decisions not to hedge against risks.
  3. Government regulations like the CfD are effective tools for encouraging low-cost capital investment in projects and should not be changed based on short-term pressures.

Energising energy producers

Klement on Investing • 1 implied HN point • 04 Nov 24
💼 Business Investing Utilities Private Equity Market Competition Efficiency
  1. Competition is important for businesses because it helps them become more efficient and often leads to lower prices for customers. By bringing in new companies, industries can see positive changes and improvements.
  2. Traditionally, utility companies lacked innovation and often prioritized dividends over customer service. This has led to underinvestment in infrastructure, resulting in higher costs for consumers.
  3. Private equity and institutional investors have recently started buying utility companies, leading to better efficiency and management. These newcomers are able to sell electricity at higher prices by managing their output more flexibly, benefiting both investors and consumers.

The Grid by Gretchen Bakke

The Book Report • 2 HN points • 13 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Utilities Energy Innovation
  1. Utilities in the past were elite products catered to the wealthy, and mass electrification changed that.
  2. Today's grid struggles with fragility due to issues like tree maintenance cutbacks and dependence on outdated power plants.
  3. Creating smaller, independent microgrids with diverse energy sources could increase grid resiliency and reduce peak demand issues.
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