Electricity Journal最新文献

{"title":"Peeling off the layers: A geospatial modeling framework for ex-ante assessment of electrification subsidy schemes uncovers their inefficiencies and implications for equitable rural electrification in Sierra Leone","authors":"Lefu Maqelepo,&nbsp;Jay Taneja,&nbsp;Nathan Williams","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a geospatially resolved modeling framework for ex-ante assessment of electricity subsidy instruments applied to least-cost electrification plans. The framework integrates subsidy modeling directly into the planning stage, enabling evaluation of how alternative subsidy structures alter private developer incentives, mini-grid system sizing decisions, and cost outcomes — before programs are deployed. We apply the framework to Sierra Leone, examining three instruments selected for their prevalence in electrification programs: direct capital subsidies, concessional finance, and supply-side tariff subsidies. The analysis yields three principal findings. First, investment subsidies introduce efficiency distortions: capital grants and concessional finance both incentivize system over-sizing, generating excess capital expenditure for developers and financiers alike, while tariff subsidies create a recurring fiscal burden without inducing the same investment distortion. Second, under a constrained public budget, the instruments produce divergent electrification trajectories: capital subsidies accelerate the rate of new connections, concessional finance may slow it, and tariff subsidies have a negligible effect on connection pace. Third, subsidy allocation strategies that prioritize developer financial sustainability tend to favor high-demand, densely populated communities, deferring connections to lower-demand settlements and thereby reinforcing existing spatial inequalities in access. These results demonstrate that the efficiency and distributional consequences of subsidy design are inseparable: instrument choice determines not only how public resources are spent but also who benefits, when, and at what long-run cost. The framework provides a practical tool for policymakers to evaluate these trade-offs before committing to a subsidy program.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 3","pages":"Article 107570"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From policy to petition: Disputes & discretion in regulating Karnataka’s energy transition","authors":"Rishika Ranga,&nbsp;Nidhi Srivastava,&nbsp;Amir Bazaz","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>India’s renewable energy transition is deeply influenced by subnational institutions, particularly electricity regulators. This paper examines Karnataka’s energy landscape to explore how regulatory decisions both reflect and shape the politics of subnational energy transitions. Through an empirical analysis of over 370 regulatory and appellate orders issued between 2010 and 2022, it reveals that regulatory forums are not neutral or purely technical spaces but arenas of political and institutional contestation. This paper makes three key arguments. First, emerging actors, such as farmer-developer and developer associations in Karnataka, are increasingly participating in and challenging national energy ambitions. Policies must account for diverse interests across all regions while framing transition goals. Second, a regulatory design in which the same body creates regulations and adjudicates disputes arising from them, can produce legal uncertainty and a weak institutional framework. Finally, regulators play a central role in shaping both technical governance and socio-economic outcomes, using regulatory discretion to balance competing interests of consumers, utilities and renewable developers. This paper thus highlights that energy transition goes far beyond technology. Understanding subnational politics, the social and economic interests of all the key stakeholders, and how state regulators navigate these, is key for a sustainable and inclusive transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 3","pages":"Article 107559"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148995334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Erratum to “Administering energy aid: State approaches to low income home energy assistance program implementation” [Electr. J. 38(4) (2025) 107521]","authors":"Ryan Anthony,&nbsp;Michelle Graff","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107529","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107529"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148553857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systems-level repurposing of coal assets: Insights from South Africa, India, and the United States","authors":"Sandeep Pai ,&nbsp;Joey James ,&nbsp;Deeksha Pande ,&nbsp;Jennifer Broadhurst ,&nbsp;Savannah Carr-Wilson ,&nbsp;Jackson Ewing","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global coal value chain is extensive and spans countries. Nearly 7000 coal mines collectively produce over 8.5 billion tons of coal every year. Over 2400 coal-fired power plants across the globe operate with a capacity of 2175 gigawatts. Then, there are numerous rail networks, trucks, and port terminals that constitute parts of the coal value chain. Yet in a net-zero world, this value chain will need to shrink rapidly, which could negatively impact the economies and communities that currently depend on it. Scholars and practitioners believe that repurposing elements of the coal value chain for other uses – such as using repurposed coal mines for solar – could be an innovative way to boost the overall energy transition and facilitate a just transition for local communities. However, prior studies and real-world practice has focused on repurposing individual assets such as individual coal power plants. Despite the global scale of coal infrastructure abandonment and apparent opportunities for repurposing whole value chains, no studies provide a comprehensive understanding of the state of knowledge about coal sector repurposing in major coal dependent economies. Moreover, prior work does not take a comprehensive “systems-level” approach to repurposing. We fill these gaps. We construct three comparative case studies – focusing on South Africa, India, and the US – to describe the current state of repurposing efforts in each country and explore the potential for systems-level repurposing. We define systems-level repurposing as the transformation of two or more components of the coal value chain into new interlinked industrial applications. We collected data for the case studies through a literature review, field visits to coal-dependent areas, 42 interviews, and a workshop involving experts and key stakeholders. We find that different countries are at different stages of repurposing research, planning and implementation. Coal mines and power plants have been the primary focus of repurposing efforts to date, while transport networks (apart from the US) and export/import terminals remain largely overlooked. In addition, neither research nor policy action takes a systems-level approach to repurposing. We identify three promising pathways for systems-level repurposing: alternative energy, overburden to sand, and agriculture. Overall, our work highlights the need for more holistic, value chain-level repurposing planning to support a just energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146001778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AI for the grid and AI on the grid: Implications, challenges and opportunities","authors":"Bo Cheng ,&nbsp;Audun Botterud ,&nbsp;Todd Levin ,&nbsp;Selvaprabu Nadarajah ,&nbsp;Dongwei Zhao ,&nbsp;Jonghwan Kwon","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107547","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107547","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the electricity grid presents both significant opportunities and challenges. This paper examines two related dimensions: “AI for the Grid,” which explores the use of AI to enhance grid planning, operations, and market participation, and “AI on the Grid,” which considers the rising electricity demand from AI-driven data centers and its implications for grid infrastructure and cost allocation. AI offers opportunities for the grid through advanced tools to improve system planning, operations, and resilience while also promoting affordability and reducing barriers to market entry. However, challenges remain regarding the reliability and trustworthiness of AI models, regulatory complexity, coordination across stakeholders, and potential market power concerns. Rapid load growth caused by AI on the grid will stress the bulk power system, creating challenges for reliability, infrastructure planning, and managing unpredictable loads. However, if incentivized and managed appropriately, data centers can also enhance grid flexibility and responsiveness. We establish eight specific research needs to help unleash AI innovation, while maintaining system reliability and affordability. For the grid these include, 1) evaluating productivity gains and risks of AI-assisted services, 2) advancing AI methods for operations and planning, 3) evaluating the potential of private, local, small language models (SLMs), and 4) assessing AI-driven market power risks. Research needs on the grid include, 1) establishing incentives for large load flexibility, 2) enhancing market structures and designs, 3) developing new cost-allocation strategies, and 4) balancing the costs of over- and under-planning for load growth in the face of uncertainty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107547"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148183743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"FairMarket-RL: LLM-driven fairness shaping in multi-agent energy trading for smart distribution grids","authors":"Shrenik Jadhav ,&nbsp;Birva Sevak ,&nbsp;Srijita Das ,&nbsp;Akhtar Hussain ,&nbsp;Wencong Su ,&nbsp;Van-Hai Bui","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peer-to-peer (P2P) trading is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism for decentralized market regulation, yet existing approaches often lack robust frameworks to ensure fairness. This paper presents FairMarket-RL, a novel hybrid framework that combines Large Language Models (LLMs) with Reinforcement Learning (RL) to enable fairness-aware trading agents. In a simulated P2P microgrid with multiple sellers and buyers, the LLM acts as a real-time fairness critic, evaluating each trading episode using two metrics: Fairness-To-Buyer (FTB) and Fairness-Between-Sellers (FBS). These fairness scores are integrated into agent rewards through scheduled λ-coefficients, forming an adaptive LLM-guided reward shaping loop that replaces brittle, rule-based fairness constraints. A linear <span><math><mi>λ</mi></math></span> ramping curriculum stabilizes training and gradually incorporates fairness with no loss in convergence. Agents are trained using Independent Proximal Policy Optimization (IPPO) and achieve equitable outcomes, fulfilling over 90% of buyer demand, maintaining fair seller margins, and consistently reaching FTB and FBS scores above 0.80. Notably, the framework demonstrates resilience against adversarial behaviors and noise, maintaining stable performance even with corrupted fairness inputs. The training process demonstrates that fairness feedback improves convergence, reduces buyer shortfalls, and narrows profit disparities between sellers. Because the language-based critic requires no hand-crafted fairness features, the framework is structured to extend to settings with larger numbers of prosumers, a direction we examine qualitatively and leave to future work for full validation. FairMarket-RL thus offers an equity-driven approach for autonomous trading in decentralized energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107548"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148183747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond mandates: Why market pressure and cybersecurity shape EnMS adoption in Taiwan’s hospitals","authors":"Gin-Ni Kuo ,&nbsp;Rua-Huan Tsaih","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hospitals are essential services and major electricity consumers, making them a strategically important but underused demand‑side resource for utilities and regulators. This study examines the determinants of Energy Management System (EnMS) adoption in Taiwan’s hospital sector to inform the design of policy instruments and demand‑side management (DSM) schemes. Using survey data from 304 healthcare professionals and a Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, regression results show that market competitive pressure and financial efficiency are the primary drivers of EnMS adoption, whereas neither existing regulatory requirements nor mandates are statistically significant predictors of adoption, indicating a misalignment between top‑down policy and hospitals’ investment behavior. Perceived cybersecurity and information-security risks further emerge as key organizational constraints on the deployment of digitally enabled energy technologies. These findings suggest that electricity policy for hospitals should shift from a predominantly regulatory‑push approach towards a market‑pull strategy that combines performance‑linked financial incentives and voluntary DSM programs with clear interoperability and cybersecurity standards. Such an integrated approach can better align hospital investment decisions with power system decarbonization objectives while maintaining the resilience and security of digital infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107546"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148183746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fixing the leaking bucket: Financial factors and the improved performance of India’s electricity distribution utilities","authors":"Archana Ghodeswar,&nbsp;Usha Nair-Reichert,&nbsp;Matthew E. Oliver","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>India’s state-owned electricity distribution utilities (SEDUs) play a central role in supporting a fast-growing economy and have undergone multiple reforms in recent years; however, many continue to face resource constraints and financial challenges. The financial and operational performances of SEDUs are closely intertwined. Our research identifies critical financial performance indicators through which India’s SEDUs have improved operational performance. We construct a rich utility-level dataset combining SEDUs’ financial and operational performance variables for (fiscal years) 2007–2020, focusing specifically on average technical and commercial loss (ATCL), total electricity sales, and payables (for purchase of power). We address multicollinearity by using principal component analysis (PCA). Our main results indicate that <em>net worth</em> and <em>loans from financial institutions, banks, and bonds</em> are the most impactful financial factors in reducing ATCL—a one-standard-deviation change in each of these factors reduces average annual ATCL by 8.2 % and 6.8 %, respectively. Similarly, a one-standard-deviation change each in <em>grants on capital assets</em> and <em>net worth</em> increase average annual electricity sales by Rs.cr. 487.75 and Rs.cr. 346, respectively. Finally, payables are decreased slightly by reductions in <em>average cost of supply</em> and <em>loans from state government</em>. Our research highlights the importance of targeting critical financial factors to further strengthen operational performance among India’s SEDUs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107530"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148553632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When should Bitcoin mining qualify as a large, flexible load? A conditional regulatory framework","authors":"Diego R. Llanos ,&nbsp;Javier Perote ,&nbsp;José D. Vicente-Lorente","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Should system operators and regulators admit Bitcoin mining to interconnection and demand-response (DR) programs, and if so, under what conditions? This article develops a decision framework that separates three questions often conflated in current debates: whether a facility qualifies operationally as a Large Flexible Load (LFL), whether it should be admitted to participate in grid and market programs, and which additional public-interest safeguards should apply to that participation. The framework treats Bitcoin mining as a candidate flexible load because its computing tasks are highly interruptible, but argues that operational flexibility alone is not sufficient for admission. Participation should also depend on auditable telemetry and baseline design, location-hour environmental disclosure using Marginal Emissions Factors (MEFs), point-of-interconnection screening, and enforceable local safeguards concerning siting and community impacts. The resulting policy logic is staged rather than bundled: recognize LFL status on operational grounds, condition admission on environmental and interconnection readiness, and apply externality safeguards as a separate but enforceable policy layer. The article also emphasizes that these options should not be read as <em>ex ante</em> certifications of safety. Institutional adequacy can only be assessed imperfectly before admission and must be tested through observed performance, monitoring, and enforcement after participation begins. The contribution is therefore not to provide another environmental-footprint estimate, but to show how regulators can translate existing evidence into auditable approval criteria, conditional participation rules, and clear grounds for refusal where risks cannot be credibly managed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107549"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148183745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrification and early childhood health: Evidence from clean energy transitions in Sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"Johnson E. Nchege ,&nbsp;Chijindu Okpalaoka ,&nbsp;Ebikabowei B. Aduku ,&nbsp;IfeomaAugusta Eboh","doi":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tej.2026.107545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Access to electricity remains limited in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, with significant implications for child survival and well-being. This study investigates the relationship between clean energy transitions and early childhood health across 28 Sub-Saharan African countries from 2000 to 2023. By combining geo-referenced Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), satellite-derived electrification measures, and national clean energy rollout timelines, we construct a subnational panel to assess the associations between electrification and child health outcomes using fixed effects, staggered difference-in-differences, and threshold-based heterogeneity models. Clean electrification is consistently associated with lower under-five mortality, reduced ARI incidence, and higher immunization coverage, with stronger associations in rural and low-income regions and in settings with higher baseline health system readiness. Mechanism analyses indicate that electrification correlates with improvements in institutional delivery rates, vaccine cold-chain reliability, and reduced dependence on biomass fuels, pathways plausibly linked to child health benefits. Additional patterns suggest indirect links through household asset ownership, media exposure, and agricultural income. These findings highlight the potential health co-benefits of clean energy access and underscore the value of aligning electrification strategies with health system investments. Targeting energy interventions toward infrastructure-poor, health-vulnerable communities may enhance progress toward Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 7 through coordinated energy–health policy design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":35642,"journal":{"name":"Electricity Journal","volume":"39 2","pages":"Article 107545"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148183741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}