Embracing TOU: Nudges, Rates, and Renewable Energy
By Michael Roberts, Nori Tarui and Ethan Hartely Hawaiian Electric Company is about to embark on a significant experiment: a pilot program introducing time-of-use (TOU)
August 21, 2023
Michael Roberts
Real-Time Pricing and the Cost of Clean Power
Solar and wind power are now cheaper than fossil fuels but are intermittent. The extra supply-side variability implies growing benefits of using real-time retail pricing
August 9, 2022
Are We Building Too Much Natural Gas Pipeline? A comparison of actual US expansion of pipeline to an optimized plan of the interstate network
Interstate natural gas transmission and storage infrastructure is facilitated using regulated, private transactions. Pipeline companies obtain long-term contracts from producers and wholesale purchasers, typically local
April 25, 2022
Using Temperature Sensitivity to Estimate Shiftable Electricity Demand Implications for power system investments and climate change
Growth of intermittent renewable energy and climate change make it increasingly difficult to manage electricity demand variability. Transmission and centralized storage technologies can help, but
September 2, 2021
The Agricultural Economic Landscape in Hawai‘i and the Potential for Future Economic Viability
By Sarah Rehkamp, Michael J. Roberts, and James M. MacDonald In a recent UHERO policy brief, Reviving Agriculture to Diversify Hawai‘i’s Economy, authors pointed to
June 11, 2021
How Will Climate Change Affect Water Demand? Evidence from Hawai‘i Microclimates
The effect that climate change will have on water resource sustainability is gaining international interest, particularly in regions where stocks are strained due to changing
January 1, 2021
Implications of a “Green Tariff” for the University of Hawai‘i, Hawaiian Electric Company, and other Customers
In June 2015 the State passed a law setting a goal for the University of Hawai‘i (UH) to produce as much renewable energy as the
November 17, 2020
Rooftop solar is now competitive with utility-scale power in Hawaiʻi
By Michael Roberts We need to transition away from fossil fuels quickly, and with inexpensive renewables and batteries, we can do so in a cost
October 2, 2020
Estimating water demand using price differences of wastewater services
Many homes in Hawai‘i use cesspools and other on-site disposal systems (OSDS) instead of the municipal sewer system. Because bills combine water and waste-water services,
July 27, 2020