Energy Course Syllabi Suggestions
Topics gathered from energy professionals, students and mentees - comment to add more ideas.
Here’s an incredible list of energy systems and policy tools syllbus topics that I am preparing to deliver to student audiences and active energy professionals. I have started to gather these topics from my mentees, students, and professionals who read and listen to my work. A shout-out to Sam Peinado at Voltus for helping me get this list started.
These topics focus on Comparative Models and Analytical Skills - Foundations on Models, Processes, and Structures:
Major state utility regulatory decisions and milestone decisions in state dockets that have created dramatic shifts in the energy policy and energy market landscapes.
The differences between the major DER policy frameworks like VDER in NY, ADER in TX, and NEM in CA (how do you even compare them?)
The significant SCOTUS cases and FERC rulings that have shaped the energy markets: distinguishing natural gas, power production (generation), and electric transmission and to some extent, distribution.
An overview of Australian and European and Japanese and Lat Am energy markets in comparison to American ones.
How to approach reading an energy tariff and what we can or can't find in them va talking to someone at the utility or ISO (maybe a scavenger hunt activity where we have to find various answers to questions?)
A primer on the relationship between or types of authority/influence that the different government and non governmental entities have
FERC, NERC, the ISOs, Utilities, PUCs, trade groups: what are they and how do they all fit together?
These topics, thanks to Mia Hermine, are more specific to market design fundamentals and market operator fundamentals:
RTO Fundamentals - Example:
MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) is one of the largest regional transmission organizations in North America. Grid data access and forecasting in MISO involve several key aspects:
Data sources: MISO collects data from various sources, including generators, transmission owners, and load-serving entities.
Forecasting methods: MISO uses advanced forecasting techniques for load, renewable generation, and market conditions.
Planning processes: MISO conducts regular transmission planning studies to ensure grid reliability and efficiency.
Stakeholder engagement: MISO involves stakeholders in its planning and decision-making processes.
Market Design for Batteries - Example:
California energy market and opportunities for grid-scale batteries:
Recent policy changes: California has ambitious clean energy goals, including SB 100, which mandates 100% clean electricity by 2045.
CAISO initiatives: The California ISO has been working on market enhancements to better integrate energy storage and other flexible resources.
Opportunities for batteries: There's growing demand for energy storage to help balance intermittent generation, prop up gas plant responsive dispatch, and provide grid services at lower cost compared to alternatives availabe intra-hour.
Challenges: Some barriers include interconnection queues, market rules that may not fully value all battery services, uncertainty about pricing value for long-duration batteries.