Steve Pomerance

A few months ago, I discussed “Disruptive Challenges,” a paper published by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the research arm of a large group of investor-owned utilities. The paper accurately describes renewable energy as potentially disrupting the business model used by these utilities to extract high profits with little risk. Disruption is now manifesting in Europe, where the growth of renewables has been extremely rapid. Apparently the initial subsidies led to lots of installations, which reduced overall costs, which then allowed subsidies to be reduced. According to a recent article in The Economist entitled “How to lose a half a trillion euros,” market valuation of European utilities has dropped by over half since 2008. One major factor is the inability of their coal-powered generation plants to integrate with the variable output of renewables. Because the Europeans require utilities to accept all the renewable energy generated, these slow-ramping plants are becoming fo...

Voters will face numerous ballot items, a slate of new council candidates, and an initiated charter amendment, Ballot Question 310, aka the “Xcel Profit Protection Plan.” The big tax issues are quite complicated. Ballot Question 2C extends the existing 0.33 percent sales tax for open space that expires in 2018, but converts it into a 0.22 percent tax for open space that would drop to 0.10 percent in 2035, with the remaining 0.11 percent through 2035 and 0.23 percent thereafter going to the general fund. Both of these would be permanent taxes thereafter. Ballot Issue 2B would increase sales taxes by an additional 0.15 percent from 2014 through 2019 to pay for transportation maintenance, transit, etc. Ballot Question 2D would convert the other temporary 0.15 percent open space tax that expires in 2019 to fund transportation infrastructure from then through 2029 and then be an undedicated tax through 2039. You might wonder why the tax extension for open space is on the ballot now,...