John List has a disturbing LinkedIn post on the job market for economists. Between trump's attack on university/research and his destruction of the government infrastructure for managing and evaluating policy, big hit on economics hiring. www.linkedin.com/posts/johnal...

United CEO says brand loyalty is their secret sauce. That comes more from customer lock-in than good UA service. Flyers better off if airlines compete on each route, not networks. onemileatatime.com/news/united-... faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/borenste/dow... faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/borenste/dow...

Pretty exciting news that Amazon is using AI to reduce its total energy use. Makes sense. I hope it will expand to focus on shifting electricity use out of the most constrained hours. www.utilitydive.com/news/amazon-...

This is an increasingly challenging problem as the distinction between loads and generation grows murkier. I think economics teaches us that the key will be to make sure new facilities pay at least the incremental cost of the services they receive. www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-pj...

Less than 24hrs after a mass shooting, the leadership in Australia is having a serious conversation about how to strengthen already strict gun safety laws. Such a stark contrast to our NRA driven discourse here.

Interesting that EIA is seeing slower growth of large load aggregate demand , but that is a poor indicator of grid strain. Need to understand peak demand relative to available supply, some of which is intermittent. www.utilitydive.com/news/energy-...

And in closely related news www.opis.com/resources/en...

Traveling last week and way behind on posts. Start with Aaron Smith's excellent EI blog explaining why California raising allowed ethanol content in gas from 10% to 15% won't save drivers money, despite study funded by Renewable Fuels Association study. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/c...

And in related news www.kqed.org/science/1999...

In this week's Energy Institute blog, Max Auffhammer's highly entertaining and also very serious take on redesigning electricity bills so customers can actually understand them. An important step in enabling demand flexibility. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/a...

Unfortunate, but common, misinterpretation of grid data. Total hours California's grid has run without natural gas since 2019 is zero. Some hours when renewables>demand, but much exported. FOR NOW, still need gas to balance the system. yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/02/cali... 💡🔌

Very interesting episode of the Shift Key podcast on what AI boom is doing to clean energy and what might happen if it is a bubble that leaves bankrupt data center companies and potentially unused grid capacity. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... 🔌💡

Dallas Burtraw at @rff.org has an excellent explainer on the climate and energy bills that passed the California legislature and were signed by Gov. Newsom in September. No blog could cover all the critical details, but Dallas hits the major points. www.resources.org/common-resou...

Excellent article in FT on the problem of Phantom data centers making it difficult for utilities and grid operators to plan, and some of the solutions. I think gift link (on.ft.com/4otkC25) works only for first 3 who use it. Sorry. www.ft.com/content/331f... 🔌💡

Good update on Kinder Morgan plans for expanding refined product distributions to Arizona, California, and Nevada. This would be a benefit to producers and customers, but not clear there is enough value to shippers for the investment. stillwaterassociates.com/open-season-... 🔌💡

The fact that this threat from Trump is not the lead story on all US news sources speaks to how much our democracy is endangered. Between the unlimited protection SCOTUS has given him and his ability to pardon anyone who follows through on his threat, all who speak up are now in danger.

An important, and discouraging, reminder that innovation continues in the fossil fuel industries as well as in renewables. Cheap oil and gas remains a major barrier to decarbonization . www.eia.gov/todayinenerg... 🔌💡

In this week's Energy Institute blog, Andy Campbell digs into the debate over how to use money from California's cap and trade auctions to support clean energy and electrification. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/c... 🔌💡

Update on California's Mystery Gasoline Surcharge: holding steady around $0.50 per gallon. In last 6 weeks, however, mostly due to higher spot prices, not downstream margins. Worrisome given one recent and one impending refinery closure. For context: energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/c...

Closely related reporting from OPIS www.opis.com/resources/en...

Fairly detailed update on CA gasoline market. But omits fact that CA spot price was $0.70-$0.90 above NY/Gulf for > 1 month after Chevron El Segundo fire, rather than normal $0.15-$0.30. CA needs more storage to avoid spikes in this new world. Plus end to Jones Act. www.opis.com/resources/en...

Hard-nosed rules for new large load interconnections are catching on across the political spectrum. A good sign for protecting existing customers from rate increases driven by stranded T&D investments. www.utilitydive.com/news/kansas-... 🔌💡

In my EI blog post today, I discuss the CA debate over how to return some of the cap and trade revenue to households and explain why I think a fixed rebate for every household the utility serves should be replace by a discount per-kilowatt-hour. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/s... 🔌💡

Stay strong, Canada. I'm ashamed of how this administration has treated our closest friends. Some of us are doing what we can to push back against the cruelty and abuse. Apologies that America let this happen. www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Not an energy post, but FT has a very funny "page not found" message: answers to why the page wasn't found based on economic concepts. And you don't need a subscription to read it. www.ft.com/content/1095...

Canary media correct that MA elec rate is way above MC, bc much of price pays for infrastructure that is not constrained except at peak hour, so high price distorts customer behavior. So true for heat pumps. Also for excessive incentive to install rooftop solar. www.canarymedia.com/articles/hea...

Kinder Morgan talking about building a new pipeline from TX to CA through AZ. Seems like a big bet CA won't respond to declining refinery capacity by increasing capacity to receive tanker imports. Will KM get enough subscribers to build it? www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

In EI blog, Lucas Davis and Paige Weber explain their new paper finds regulated IOUs are less responsive to wholesale prices than merchant generators in their decisions to close a plant. That leads to important inefficiencies in the generation fleet. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/d... 💡🔌

Well said, Tyler.

Excellent long read about Texas' love/hate history with wind power and attempts by trump and his minions to argue (without evidence, as usual) that wind development has hurt the state. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene... 💡🔌

US ethanol exports on the rise. Very discouraging bc it continues to be sold as low-GHG. Lots of evidence that it is not. Also worth noting that CA recently started allowing 15% ethanol blend. Other states already *allow*, but most retailerscontinue to sell E-10 instead. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

In Energy Institue blog, Jim Bushnell unpacks whether a bubble in AI/data centers would leave us with valuable infrastructure as happened with railroads and fiber optics. Important differences are being overlooked. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/10/13/i... 💡🔌

Not sure how this got past the administration's communication controls, but EIA had a nice piece last Friday on the increasing role of solar/wind/batteries in Texas. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg... 🔌💡

Meredith Fowlie's insightful Energy Institute blog post yesterday about the permitting issues and local NIMBY barriers to EV charging stations. Neighbors need to be heard, but whether it is housing or EV charging, they can't have a complete veto. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/t...

Fascinating WSJ on recent geothermal power developments, much due to fed govt support. To me, an economist with no technical knowledge on this, super exciting. Hope they can get the economics to work very soon. www.wsj.com/business/ene... CA sends mixed signals www.utilitydive.com/news/newsom-... 🔌💡

Resources Radio (from RFF) today dropped their podcast episode w Daniel Raimi talking to me about my research on "Energy Hog" households, who are mostly just homes in hot climates, with many occupants and w/out rooftop solar. www.resources.org/resources-ra... haas.berkeley.edu/energy-insti... 💡🔌

I'm back from vacation (and the huge Oakland No Kings protest). Lots to catch up on posting. In the EI blog today, Jim Sallee has an excellent analysis of the poorly designed, but good direction, of proposed international shipping GHG regulations. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/10/20/c...

My EI blog post today on how data center demand growth may drive up elec prices in near term, but managed well, should help lower retail price. Regulators must assure data centers reduce demand when grid is strained and pay fair share of system fixed costs. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/w...

Outstanding episode of Shift Key. Jesse Jenkins & Rob Meyer explain transmission & distribution remain regulated monopolies and challenges regulating them. Only quibble with idea incentive regulation substantially improves outcomes. It creates its own distortions. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...

In the Energy Institute blog, Meredith Fowlie is out today with an important analysis of California's legislative accomplishments on electricity affordability as the session wrapped up last week. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/r... 💡🔌

Lots of balcony solar discussion these days. Interesting idea but price in US is still much higher than grid scale. At 3% discount rate and 15% cap fac, the 200W system mentioned has LCOE of $0.13 if it last 25 years, $0.22 if it lasts 10 years. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

I've been asking questions about the low natural gas prices in the Pacific Northwest. Today, EIA has a great piece with many answers. It's the imports from Western Canada, where prices are even lower. Gotta love those benefits of international trade...while they last. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

EI resident energy effic label expert, Lucas Davis, has great post today on fuel effic labels for EVs. I think he is too easy on them: annual cost estimate is based on US avg elec price, but they vary far more across states (3x+) than gas prices do. energyathaas.wordpress.com/2025/09/08/a...

Yes! energyathaas.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/o...

Two useful RTO Insider articles on dynamic pricing in California. The CPUC wants IOUs to step up commitment to it, but the biggest municipal utilities are backing away from it. www.rtoinsider.com/113929-cpuc-... www.rtoinsider.com/112563-calif... 💡🔌

As the operations of Phillips 66's Southern California refinery wind down and the fall refinery turnaround season quickly approaches, the LA spot price has increased to $0.60 above NY/Gulf, about $0.40 more than normal. Buckle up. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

Given the trump administrations killing of 11 alleged Venezuelan drug dealers at sea today, now might be a good time to recall his pardon of a American drug dealer actually convicted of running a large drug operation and soliciting murders for higher. www.bbc.com/news/article...

I signed an open letter from economists supporting Fed independence & Gov. Lisa Cook. Letter: docs.google.com/document/d/1... Add your name by Monday: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Isn't it time for a constitutional amendment eliminating presidential pardons? In theory, they could be used to the benefit of society, but in practice they are a giant open door to corruption and authoritarianism.

If I am reading correctly the California Energy Commission's agenda for Friday's meeting, it looks like they are officially backing off the idea of a refinery margin penalty/tax. A wise move. It is impractical and doesn't target the true downstream problem. efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument....