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net metering policies has contributed to the rapid effective new sources of electricity services, rethink
adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) in se- ill-designed incentives for certain resources, and
veral jurisdictions, while exposing several flaws in present a system of prices and charges that can
current ratemaking. The rapid uptake of solar PV animate efficient decisions. With this framework in
also demonstrates how quickly customers can re- place, all customers and producers of electricity
act to economic signals - whether well or poorly services can make efficient choices based on ac-
designed - and the importance of proactive, rather curate incentives that reflect the economic value
than reactive, policy-making and regulation. In mul- of these services and their own diverse personal
tiple jurisdictions, challenges that once seemed preferences.
insignificant have quickly become overwhelming,
and failure to act can catch policy makers and re-
gulators flat-footed. Core findings highlighted by
The framework proposed in this study is designed the study
to establish a level playing field for the provision and
consumption of electricity services, whether via The only way to put all resources on a level playing
centralized or distributed resources. The goal is to field and achieve efficient operation and planning in
remove inefficient barriers to the integration of cost the power system is to dramatically improve prices

New visions for transforming the energy system

Interview with Research Co-directors of MIT’s Low-Carbon C. Knittel: “The power system is undergoing unprecedented
Energy Center for Electric Power Systems: changes on the technology, market, and regulatory fronts.
Understanding and shaping this transition requires expertise
Christopher Knittel, George P. Schultz
Professor of Applied Economics, MIT, Sloan ranging from materials science and digital signal processing
School of Management to economics and political science - areas of expertise that
(Courtesy of MIT Sloan) are central to the electric power systems center”.

F. O’Sullivan: “The relative impacts of decarbonization,
Francis O’Sullivan, Director of research, MIT decentralization, and digitalization vary greatly from place
Energy Initiative to place. We’re interested in understanding those impacts
(Dominick Reuter) and devising cleaner, more reliable, and more cost-effective
power system solutions”.

The MIT Energy Initiative continues to develop and expand its sportation, heating and cooling, and industrial sectors
eight Low-Carbon Energy Centers, which facilitate multidisci- away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner power sources
plinary collaboration among MIT researchers, industry, and that generate electricity.
government to advance research in technology areas critical Accommodating these changes will require the electric
to addressing climate change. In this interview, the directors power sector to undergo an unprecedented transforma-
of the Center for Electric Power Systems Research discuss tion.
their vision for transforming the energy system. The sector is already highly complex, requiring the pre-
cise integration of hardware, operations, and market and
Why is research into electric power systems neces- regulatory structures. Going forward, the deployment of
sary to reduce carbon emissions worldwide? renewable and increasingly distributed energy resources
Fueling global economic development and powering such as wind, solar, storage, and demand response will
the lives of billions who lack access to modern energy challenge the planning and reliable operation of the sy-
sources will require a dramatic expansion of the world’s stem. Simultaneously, the much-expanded digitalization
electricity system. At the same time, efforts to mitigate of power systems necessary to support a much more
global climate change depend on making drastic CO decentralized grid will result in increasing cyber risks.
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emissions cuts—moving even larger portions of the tran- Transforming the sector will require cross-disciplinary

44 Impiantistica Italiana - Gennaio- Febbraio 2018