Our Blog

Chester Energy and Policy started in 2017 as a blog before blossoming into a full consulting business. The goal of the blog originally was simple: answer interesting questions in the world of energy & sustainability that weren’t being answered elsewhere, tapping into energy data sets, expert interviews, and a unique lens.

Today, the blog section of Chester Energy and Policy seeks to continue that mission: answering interesting questions. If you have a question that you think is worth diving into for a blog post, reach out and let us know! .

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Read Most Recent Blog Posts

Matt Chester 9/30/21 Matt Chester 9/30/21

Increasing a Building’s Energy System Efficiency Via the Rooftop: Past, Present, and Future

With so much understandable focus on transitioning energy generation from fossil fuels to clean energy, stakeholders must not overlook some of the lowest hanging fruit in the energy realm: energy efficiency. Well-planned energy efficiency programs and technologies represent one of the most critical and natural win-wins out there. Energy efficiency allows for conserving of energy without sacrificing output, meaning buildings and customers cut costs, power providers minimize how much demand they need to reach, and fewer greenhouse gases are spilled into the atmosphere.

Matt Chester 9/24/21 Matt Chester 9/24/21

Energy Central Power Perspectives™: Welcome Ryan Gerbrandt of Anterix, New Expert in the Digital Utility Community- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]

The ability to communicate instantaneously and tap into the treasure trove of data across the grid is one of the most important fronts for the grid moving forward. When we talk about a smart grid, that intelligence requires the infrastructure, planning, and informational capacity that hasn’t been previously made available.

Matt Chester 9/23/21 Matt Chester 9/23/21

Half of U.S. Electricity by 2050: Is Biden for Real

As climate change and clean energy have climbed their way up higher on the priority list of the average American, with over 80% of voters in 2020 citing climate change as at least ‘somewhat important,’ the media has increasingly satiated the appetite for related news.

Matt Chester 9/23/21 Matt Chester 9/23/21

Electric Vehicles Bringing Opportunity - Not Burden - to the Grid

Not long ago, executives at utilities and within the energy industry looked at the potential electric vehicle (EV) future with wide eyes. But these wide eyes were not of excitement and anticipation, they were the wide eyes of fear. From the perspective of these energy leaders, this perspective isn’t tough to understand. After all, studies have found that vehicle electrification will lead to the largest opportunity to increase energy demand since the introduction of air conditioning into buildings in the 1950s. Depending on the rate of EV purchases, though, this energy load growth could actually end up being larger and even more consequential in terms of how much energy will need to be generated and transported on a macro scale.

Matt Chester 9/21/21 Matt Chester 9/21/21

Welcome Ruben Arredondo, New Expert in the Utility Management Community- [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Interview]

The future of the utility sector is being written today. From public policies and regulations to advancements in cyber technologies and more, the landscape today is setting up the power sector of tomorrow in a very impactful way. As we chart these fairly unnavigated waters, looking to experts and leaders who are not just watching, but are actually creating that change will be the best way for us to prepare as an industry.

Matt Chester 9/17/21 Matt Chester 9/17/21

Half of U.S. Solar by 2050 – What’s Really Happening

Media outlet headlines and social media posts galore last week came out with a force for the following announcement: the Biden Administration is talking about nearly half of U.S. electricity coming from solar power by 2050. Clean energy advocates, climate warriors, and regular consumers alike raised their eyebrows at such a bold pronouncement. And as too often happens in today’s environment of soundbite news and Tweet-length hot takes, the debate raged on before many people bothered to dig into the headline and what was behind it.