The Energy CX Blog

Demand for electricity is quickly outpacing how fast new supply can come online. This increased demand is felt on energy bills in the form of high capacity charges. 

The strain on the grid is part of the reason there is a push in the United States for a nuclear renaissance. Nuclear power is reliable and clean, however building new plants can be a long process that is very costly. 

Why would nuclear power actually help with grid strain?

Nuclear plants run at a capacity factor of about 92 percent, the share of time a plant produces power at its full potential, the highest of any energy source. That reliability comes from needing to refuel only every 18 to 24 months instead of cycling on and off with the weather or the market. This supply of uninterrupted power is crucial with data centers running artificial intelligence (AI) workloads around the clock, placing more demand on the grid. Nuclear power already makes up close to a fifth of U.S. electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nuclear is one of the few sources built to run at that scale without interruption.

So why is the nuclear renaissance still stuck at the starting line?

Georgia's Plant Vogtle is the clearest example. The two new reactors were originally budgeted at $14 billion and expected to begin commercial operation around 2016 and 2017. Construction started in 2009, but the EIA now reports total project costs above $30 billion, and the second reactor did not reach commercial operation until 2024, 15 years after construction began. 

Part of the delay is regulatory. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires safety and environmental reviews that routinely stretch for years, on top of the construction time itself. Fuel supply adds another constraint: newer reactor designs depend on enriched uranium capacity that the domestic supply chain has not caught up to yet, and a federal phase-out of Russian enriched-uranium imports adds further pressure on that timeline. 

Restarts should be the fast path because the infrastructure already exists, but even restarts are running long. Constellation's Crane Clean Energy Center (formerly Three Mile Island) is moving through NRC environmental review, but a final decision on its operating license isn't expected until May 2027, three years after Constellation announced the restart plan in 2024. In Michigan, Holtec's restart of the Palisades plant, backed by $1.52 billion in DOE loan guarantees, has already slipped past its original timeline amid corrosion and supply-chain issues.

Once a plant is built, a finished reactor does not automatically deliver power. New generation, nuclear included, has to clear a grid operator's interconnection queue, the review process that determines whether a plant can actually connect to transmission lines, before it counts toward capacity. A Utility Dive report on PJM's interconnection backlog found that most projects entering the queue today are unlikely to come online before 2030, regardless of how quickly construction itself finishes.

Do small modular reactors change the timeline?

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are scaled-down nuclear reactors, typically under 300 megawatts versus roughly 1,000 megawatts for a conventional plant, designed with standardized parts that can be factory-built and shipped to a site rather than custom-engineered on location. 

Although SMRs could offer a quick solution to bring nuclear power online, they are not without their challenges. NuScale, the first SMR designer to win NRC licensing (2023), saw its flagship project, seven small reactors for a 462-megawatt plant in Idaho, collapse after cost estimates more than doubled, from under $4 billion to over $9 billion, before a single unit was built. Holtec, the same company restarting Palisades, is racing to build two SMRs next door on that same site; its own spokesman put the realistic timeline at two and a half more years of NRC licensing plus two and a half years of construction, assuming no setbacks, on top of 15 years of design work already invested. Worldwide, only three SMRs are running today: two 35-megawatt units in Russia and one 125-megawatt unit in China. None operate yet in North America or Europe.

No U.S. SMR design has been built commercially yet, so the promise of a shorter, more standardized build has yet to be delivered. Businesses planning around nuclear power, new reactors or small ones, should treat the nuclear renaissance as a potentially multi-decade story rather than a multi-year one. 

Key Takeaway

Nuclear power is reliable enough to help ease grid capacity strain, but the nuclear renaissance is unfolding on a decade-plus timeline, not a multi-year one. Cost overruns, regulatory review, fuel supply limits and grid interconnection queues all push completion dates further out than early announcements suggest. Businesses managing energy costs today should plan around existing capacity constraints rather than count on new nuclear supply arriving soon.

Multifamily properties face energy cost challenges a single-tenant office building never has to solve: mixed metering, shared common-area systems and resident energy use the owner doesn't fully control. Reducing energy spend here starts with figuring out which of those three problems is actually driving the bill.

Why do multifamily properties face different energy costs than single-tenant buildings?

In most commercial buildings, one tenant or operator controls the majority of energy decisions and sees the cost on one bill. For multifamily properties, that control is split across the owner, the property manager and dozens or hundreds of residents, each paying a different share depending on how the building is metered. Understanding utility rate structures matters here, but the metering setup on top of that rate structure is what actually determines who has the incentive to cut usage.

What's the difference between master metering, submetering and RUBS?

Some properties use master metering: the whole building is billed as one account, and the owner absorbs the full cost. Others submeter, installing individual meters so each unit is billed for its own usage, the way a single-family home would be. A third approach, Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS), estimates each unit's share of a master-metered bill using a formula based on square footage or occupancy, rather than measured usage. Each approach puts the cost reduction incentive in a different place: master metering puts it entirely on the owner, submetering puts it on residents and RUBS splits it in a way that can blunt the incentive for anyone to conserve.

Where does the biggest energy waste show up in common areas?

Common areas, corridor and stairwell lighting, lobby HVAC, laundry rooms, parking garage ventilation and pool equipment, are almost always billed to the owner regardless of metering type, and they typically run on fixed schedules rather than actual demand. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings program, shared building systems like these are a common source of avoidable energy use in multifamily properties precisely because they aren't tied to occupancy. Moving common-area lighting to occupancy sensors and putting HVAC on real schedules costs the owner controls directly, independent of how individual units are metered.

Does upgrading HVAC and lighting actually pay off in a multifamily building?

It depends on the age of the equipment and how it's currently controlled, but the highest-return upgrades are usually the ones tied to systems that run constantly: corridor lighting, exhaust fans and pool or laundry equipment on a timer rather than a sensor. Unit-by-unit HVAC and appliance upgrades tend to pay back more slowly for the owner, since the savings usually flow to the resident under submetering or get diluted under RUBS.

How much control do property owners actually have over resident energy use?

Less than they'd like, especially under master metering or RUBS, where a resident running the air conditioning constantly costs the property the same as one who doesn't. According to ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager guidance, properties that benchmark their energy performance consistently identify common-area and shared systems, not unit-level usage, as their most controllable reduction target. Where submetering isn't feasible, a defined maintenance and replacement cycle for common-area equipment is the more realistic lever left to the owner.

Key Takeaway

Energy cost reduction in multifamily properties depends on knowing who actually controls the spend. Common-area systems and shared equipment are the owner's most direct lever regardless of metering type, while submetering is what aligns resident behavior with resident cost. Getting the metering structure right is often a bigger factor than any single equipment upgrade.

Manufacturers can cut energy costs without slowing production by targeting the specific systems that drive the highest usage: motors, compressed air and the hours when a plant pulls the most power at once. These energy saving tips for manufacturers focus on those levers first, because they typically account for a bigger share of a facility's energy bill than lighting or office space ever will.

1. Audit motors and drives before anything else

Electric motors run compressors, pumps, fans and conveyor systems, and according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Plants program, motor-driven systems are among the largest electricity users in most manufacturing facilities. A motor that's oversized for its actual load, or one that's aging past its efficiency curve, wastes energy every hour it runs. Start with an inventory of every motor over 5 horsepower, note its age and duty cycle, and prioritize replacement or a variable frequency drive for the ones running closest to constant load.

2. Fix compressed air leaks first, upgrade equipment second

Compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities on a factory floor because so much of what gets generated leaks out before it does any work. Before spending on a new compressor, walk the plant during a quiet shift and listen for leaks at fittings, hoses and quick-disconnects. Sealing leaks is cheap. A new compressor sized for a system that's still leaking is not.

3. Shift flexible production to off-peak hours

Manufacturers that run energy-intensive equipment during a utility's peak demand window pay for it twice: once for the electricity itself, and again through capacity charges tied to the facility's highest demand period. Where a process can flex, moving it to off-peak hours reduces both the energy cost and the demand charge tied to that hour.

4. Recover waste heat where the process allows it

Many manufacturing processes, from curing ovens to compressors, generate heat that gets exhausted instead of reused. Depending on the layout, that heat can preheat process water, supply space heating, or feed back into another step in production. This isn't free to set up, but for facilities running heat-generating equipment continuously, the payback period is often short.

5. Match HVAC and lighting schedules to actual shift patterns

Plants that run one or two shifts often still condition and light the entire building around the clock. Tying HVAC and lighting controls to actual occupancy and shift schedules, rather than a fixed 24-hour setpoint, removes cost for space that isn't being used.

6. Track usage by department, not just by meter

A single utility bill hides which line, cell, or department is driving the cost. Submetering key equipment or production areas shows where usage is actually concentrated, which turns "reduce energy use" from a vague goal into a specific, measurable target.

7. Build energy tracking into the maintenance schedule, not a separate initiative

Energy waste often shows up as a maintenance symptom first: a bearing running hot, a belt slipping, a control valve stuck partway open. Facilities that fold energy checks into routine maintenance catch these issues before they show up as a spike on the utility bill.

Key Takeaway

The fastest energy savings for manufacturers come from fixing the systems that run constantly and cost the most: motors, compressed air and peak-demand scheduling. Waste heat recovery, shift-matched HVAC and submetering add further savings once the biggest drivers are under control. None of this requires new equipment as a first step, just a clear look at where energy is actually going.

Energy CX, the company that helps businesses manage energy like a financial asset, has rebranded. The company recently unveiled a new website that aligns its visual identity with its tech-forward approach to energy procurement while honoring its legacy. 

Founded in 2010 by Ellen Rice and her husband, Energy CX has grown from a family business to an over 150 person operation focused on delivering better results with  math-based trading methodologies. 

The Platform Carries the Family Name Forward

After taking over in 2016, the Rice children and their team set out to build a Platform that would centralize energy procurement. The Platform now provides customers with access to real-time market data and is a key resource in building better energy procurement strategies. Not wanting to lose sight of the family legacy, the Platform was dubbed ABEL™, after Abel Rice, patriarch of five generations of energy entrepreneurs. Naming the Platform after him ties the newest part of the business directly to the oldest part of it: a family that has been in the energy business for generations. 

The New Visual Identity Carries the Same Idea

The new visual identity wasn't built to look different for the sake of giving the brand a facelift. It was deliberately built around the same premise as naming the Platform, ABEL™, something inherited that keeps evolving. It keeps the parts that earned trust in the first place: Chicago roots, a family name, a reputation built one customer relationship at a time, while updating the parts that need to keep pace with how the business operates in this new age of volatility. 

Succession, Not Just Software

This is more than a software launch, it is a succession story. Ellen Rice and her husband built a company on relationships. Their children inherited that company and bet its future on a data-driven Platform, without changing the name on the door or straying from the foundation built on customer trust. Energy CX today manages more than 2 billion square feet of commercial real estate, work that started with two people building trust one account at a time. The rebrand is an attempt to make that continuity visible: the same family, a new generation, with a more tech-forward strategy that helps customers navigate the ever changing energy landscape.

Decarbonization means reducing or eliminating the carbon emissions tied to how a business produces and uses energy. For most companies, that means shifting away from fossil fuel electricity and equipment toward renewable power, electrification, and more efficient buildings. It isn't only an environmental decision. It changes how much a company pays for energy, how exposed it is to fuel price swings, and how it looks to investors, lenders and tenants.

What Is Decarbonization?

Decarbonization is the process of cutting the greenhouse gas emissions connected to energy use. Most of those emissions come from burning fossil fuels like natural gas and coal to generate electricity or heat.

Businesses decarbonize in a few concrete ways: buying renewable electricity directly, purchasing renewable energy credits to certify a portion of their power came from clean sources, replacing gas-powered equipment with electric versions, and upgrading buildings to use less energy overall. Companies also track Scope 2 emissions, the indirect emissions created by the electricity they buy, as a baseline for measuring progress.

What Benefits Do Businesses See When They Cut Emissions?

The benefits of decarbonization for businesses show up first in cost predictability. Renewable power contracts are typically priced for a fixed term, which shields a company from the price spikes that hit natural gas and, by extension, electricity markets. A business running on a mix of renewable and efficient equipment also uses less energy overall, which lowers the base cost before any market volatility even enters the picture.

Decarbonization also reduces regulatory risk. Cities and states are moving faster on emissions rules for commercial buildings, including laws like New York's Local Law 97, which penalizes large buildings that exceed emissions caps. Businesses that have already lowered their emissions face less exposure when new rules take effect.

Access to capital is a third factor. Lenders and investors increasingly tie financing terms to a company's emissions profile, so a documented decarbonization strategy, ideally built into a company’s energy strategy, can translate directly into better loan terms or investor interest.

How Is Growing Decarbonization Changing the Energy Industry?

As more businesses and utilities shift toward renewable power, the makeup of the electric grid is changing. Renewables now account for a growing share of U.S. electricity generation, according to the Energy Information Administration, and that shift is reshaping how grid operators manage supply.

Solar and wind don't produce power on a fixed schedule the way a gas plant does, so grid operators are leaning more heavily on battery storage to bank excess renewable power for when it's needed. They're also relying more on demand response programs, which pay businesses to reduce usage during periods of grid stress, to balance supply without building new fossil fuel plants.

On the corporate side, more companies are setting formal emissions targets through frameworks like the Science Based Targets initiative, which is pushing suppliers and utilities to offer more renewable contract options. That demand is part of why renewable and hybrid supply products have become more common in deregulated markets over the past several years.

Key Takeaway

Decarbonization means cutting the emissions tied to a business's energy use, mainly by shifting to renewable power, electrifying equipment, and improving efficiency. The businesses that do it well get more predictable costs, lower regulatory risk, and better access to financing. Across the industry, that same shift is changing how the grid operates, pushing more investment into storage and demand response as renewables take up a larger share of the supply mix.

Grid reliability and energy prices are now moving together for a structural reason, not a one-off one: the grid is running closer to its limit more often, and every mechanism built to manage that strain (capacity payments, emergency orders, auction pricing, etc.) shows up as a cost on a commercial energy bill.

What just happened on the ERCOT and PJM grids?

Two records fell within weeks of each other in the summer of 2026. ERCOT, the grid operator for most of Texas, hit a new all-time peak of roughly 91,308 megawatts on July 22, 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a 6 percent jump over the previous record of 85.5 gigawatts set in August 2023. Days earlier, PJM (the grid operator for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and 10 other states) reached 162,648 megawatts of demand on July 2, 2026, its highest reading in nearly two decades, falling just short of the region's all-time record only because utilities paid large energy users to cut demand through demand response programs, per PJM's own reporting.

Neither grid was caught off guard. Both had forecast the strain months in advance. That is itself the point: this isn't a freak weather event, it's the expected outcome of demand growing faster than new generation is coming online, driven largely by data centers and electrification.

Why is the Department of Energy issuing emergency orders instead of letting weak plants retire?

A Section 202(c) order is the Department of Energy's emergency authority to keep a specific power plant running past its planned retirement date when the grid operator says reliability is at risk. From 2000 through mid-2025, the DOE used this authority 20 times in 25 years. Since May 2025, it has issued more than 43 of them, according to the DOE's own order log and reporting from Power Magazine, stalling the retirement of at least 4.4 gigawatts of coal capacity.

That pace change matters more than any single order. A tool used twice a year on average is now being used more than three times a month. Keeping older, less efficient plants online past their planned exit isn't free: those costs flow into capacity markets, and capacity markets flow into commercial energy bills.

Why does this make price volatility structural instead of one-off?

The clearest evidence is in the capacity market itself. PJM's most recent Base Residual Auction, for the 2027/28 delivery year, cleared at $333.44 per megawatt-day, the maximum price allowed and a new record, while procuring 6,623 megawatts less capacity than the reliability target called for, per RTO Insider's coverage of the auction. When an auction clears at the ceiling and still falls short of what the grid needs, that isn't a one-time spike correcting itself next year. It's the market pricing in a shortage that current generation additions aren't fixing fast enough to reverse.

What should CRE and manufacturing energy buyers do about this?

Treat this as a multi-year risk, not a single bad quarter. A fixed rate (one locked-in price for the length of the contract) protects against exactly this kind of structural capacity cost increase, while index pricing (paying the market rate each month) can leave a business exposed to it. Businesses can opt to use a hybrid structure which blends fixed and index to hedge part of your usage while the rest floats with the market. Picking the right rate structure for your business depends on your company’s financial goals and appetite for risk. The buyers best positioned heading into 2027 are the ones analyzing capacity exposure now, ahead of the next auction cycle, rather than waiting for a renewal date to force the decision.

Key Takeaway

ERCOT and PJM both set demand records in the summer of 2026, the Department of Energy has more than doubled its historical pace of emergency reliability orders since May 2025, and PJM's capacity auction cleared at its price cap while still falling short of its reliability target. Together, these point to grid reliability as a structural driver of energy costs, not a temporary event, which is why CRE and manufacturing buyers should treat hedging and rate-locking as a 2027 planning decision, not a renewal-time reaction.

On Friday, August 7, 2026, Energy CX held its 5th Annual META24 Gala. This year, the event was hosted at the Adler Planetarium, which was filled with guests who gathered under the stars together in support of META24.

Through the support of sponsors and guests, the gala raised $111,529 for META24, a nonprofit reimagining education through entrepreneurship by giving at-risk students in Chicago the tools, resources and real-world experience to build their futures. This year's fundraising total surpasses the $80,000 that was raised at the 2025 gala.

Founded in 2012, META24 converts school and community spaces into maker spaces where students learn vocational skills they use to launch their own businesses. The organization currently has 20+ labs across 11 institutional sites, providing resources to 15,000+ students. At this year’s gala, students were able to showcase what they have built, selling their products and connecting with entrepreneurs.

The ongoing partnership with META24 is one way Energy CX delivers on its commitment to continuous growth and continuing education, and to doing good for the community it operates in.

"Watching that number climb from $80,000 to $111,529 in a single year tells you how much this community believes in what META24 is building. These aren't just donations, they're investments in kids who've been told to expect less from the world,” said Co-CEO Miles Rice. “Every year I get to stand in a room and watch a student talk about the business they built with their own hands, and every year it reminds me why we keep showing up."

For those interested in supporting META24's mission or exploring sponsorship opportunities, please email communications@energycx.com.

Thank you to all of sponsors of this years event:

• Gas South

• Mansfield

• Tully & Associates

• Res Publica Group

• The Crown Family

• NextEra Energy

• Core Spaces

• Competitive Power Ventures

• Smartest Energy

• Champion

CHICAGO, August 11, 2026 — Energy CX has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list, ranking No. 1,354 out of 5,000 of the country's fastest-growing private companies. It's the company's third straight year on the list, following back-to-back recognition in 2024 and 2025.

Inc. 5000 ranks the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. by revenue growth over a three-year period. Together, the 2026 honorees generated more than $385 billion in revenue and added over 627,000 jobs to the U.S. economy over that span. For Energy CX, landing on the list for three years in a row is evidence of continuous growth, which is a core brand value.

"Making the Inc 5000 list for a third straight year is great to see," said Co-CEO Scott Hammes. "It reflects the work our team puts in every day for our customers, and it tells us we're building something special."

"The Inc. 5000 has always celebrated entrepreneurs who see opportunity where others see obstacles," said Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Their success in today's constantly evolving economic landscape is a powerful reminder that entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the American economy, creating jobs, fueling innovation, and shaping the future of business."

That growth shows up in Energy CX's own numbers. The company posted 261% 3-year revenue growth, bringing them from No. 2,334 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list to No. 1,354 in 2026. Headcount grew 68% in 2025, as the team scaled to keep pace with more than 2 billion square feet of commercial real estate now under management.

About Inc.

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Energy price volatility is how much and how fast the price of electricity or natural gas moves within a contract term or across a season. It isn't random. Prices move because the forces that set them, fuel costs, weather, grid capacity, and geopolitical events, rarely hold steady at the same time.

Why do fuel prices drive electricity price swings?

Most power plants burn natural gas to generate electricity. When gas prices climb, wholesale electricity prices tend to follow within days, because the plants that set the market price are usually gas-fired. Every trading day, the market also sets prices for future delivery months. That's called the forward curve.

When gas supply tightens, the near-term points on that curve move first, and the change ripples into contracts businesses sign months later.

How does weather affect energy costs?

Heat waves and cold snaps push demand up faster than new supply can respond. A single heat wave can spike wholesale prices for a few hours or a few days, even if the rest of the season looks normal. Businesses on a fixed contract don't feel that spike directly, but it shows up the next time they go to market.

What role does grid capacity play in price volatility?

Businesses also pay capacity charges, which cover the right to draw power from the grid, separate from the energy itself. When a region's grid operator sees demand outpacing available supply, capacity prices climb and that cost shows up on commercial bills even when a building's own usage hasn't changed at all.

How do geopolitical events move energy markets?

Natural gas and oil trade globally. A conflict, sanction, or export disruption in one part of the world can tighten supply and lift prices in markets thousands of miles from the event itself. That's why a headline about a distant region can still move a domestic energy bill.

How can businesses manage energy price volatility?

Two structures handle this differently. Hedging means locking in a price now to protect against later swings. Index pricing means paying the market rate each month instead of a fixed price. Businesses that want predictable budgets typically fix all or part of their usage ahead of time. Businesses willing to accept some basis risk, the gap between the price they locked and what the market actually did, in exchange for a shot at lower costs may choose index pricing or a blended structure instead.

Either way, the decision works best as part of a written buying strategy tied to specific price and timing triggers, not a reaction to whatever the market did last week.

Key Takeaway

Energy price volatility comes from four overlapping forces: fuel costs, weather, grid capacity, and geopolitical events. None of them move on their own. Businesses that treat these swings as predictable inputs, rather than surprises, can build a strategy around them instead of reacting after the fact.

Capacity tags, sometimes called capacity obligations or peak tags, are charges that show up on commercial electricity bills separate from the energy itself. They represent what you pay for the right to draw power from the grid, not the power you actually use.

Here is how it works: regional grid operators, like PJM (the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection, which manages the grid across 13 states in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest), or ERCOT (the grid operator for most of Texas), need to ensure that enough power generation exists to meet peak demand. To fund that capacity, they assign each large energy user a share of the cost based on how much electricity that user drew from the grid during the highest-stress hours of the prior year.

That share is your capacity tag. And it follows you into the next contract period, often for 12 months or more.

Why Does a Heat Wave Matter?

Grid stress peaks when demand peaks. Demand peaks when millions of buildings and facilities crank up air conditioning at the same time during extreme heat.

This week's heat wave is affecting areas like the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Texas and the Midwest, which sit inside PJM, ERCOT and other major grid regions. When temperatures spike across those regions simultaneously, grid operators record their highest demand hours of the year.

Those hours are the measurement window that determines capacity tags. If your building is consuming heavily during those peak hours your capacity tag goes up. That higher tag then gets priced into your electricity supply contract and delivered as a line item on your bills.

The cost difference between a high capacity tag and a low one can be significant for large commercial users.

What are Transmission Tags, and do They Work the Same Way?

Transmission tags, also called transmission charges or network service charges, cover the cost of moving electricity from where it is generated to where it is used. Like capacity tags, they are typically calculated based on your usage during a set of peak demand hours.

The measurement windows for transmission tags vary by grid region and utility, but the core dynamic is the same: the more electricity you pull from the grid during high-stress moments, the higher your transmission obligation. Heat waves create exactly the kind of high-stress moments that move these numbers.

Together, capacity and transmission charges can represent a meaningful portion of a commercial energy bill, often 25-30%, and they are almost entirely invisible to buyers who only look at their supply rate.

How can Commercial Energy Users Limit the Damage?

The short answer: reduce consumption during peak demand hours, specifically during extreme heat events.

For most commercial buildings, that means shifting non-essential load away from afternoon hours on the hottest days, pre-cooling a building before peak hours, adjusting thermostat set points slightly, or curtailing equipment that does not need to run during a demand spike. This is sometimes called load curtailment or demand response.

The challenge is that peak hours are not always predictable in advance, and grid operators do not always announce them publicly with enough lead time to act. Businesses that actively track grid conditions, or work with an advisor who does, are in a much better position to respond than those who only see the consequences on their next bill.

For businesses operating in deregulated energy markets, capacity and transmission tags are a key reason why choosing an energy supplier based on supply rate alone can be misleading. A supplier quoting a low per-kilowatt-hour rate may still expose a buyer to significant tag-related costs that were never factored into the comparison. Understanding the full cost structure of an energy contract, not just the commodity rate, is what separates a defensible energy procurement strategy from a guess.

Key Takeaway

Capacity and transmission tags are charges assigned to commercial energy users based on how much electricity they consume during peak demand hours, and extreme heat waves are when those hours happen. If your building runs hard during a heat event, you may carry a higher cost obligation into your next contract period. Reducing consumption during the hottest peak hours is the most direct way to limit that exposure.

Pennsylvania businesses have been focused on PECO's 15% rate increase this month, but a separate change is taking effect on July 1 that's gotten less attention. PPL Electric Utilities is implementing a new large load tariff for commercial customers with demand of 50 MW or more at a single facility, or 75 MW or more in aggregate across facilities within a 10-mile radius.

If your business operates in central or eastern Pennsylvania and you're in that range, here's what you need to know before the calendar flips.

What's Changing

Approved as part of PPL's rate case settlement, the tariff creates a distinct rate structure for high-demand commercial and industrial customers. Large load service agreements carry an initial term of not less than 10 years and include minimum load guarantees and exit fees. Additionally, each customer is required to have an agreement stating its interconnection and provide proof of funds in an amount equal to the cost of upgrades.

PPL Electric's proposed tariff would have large loads contribute $11 million annually to the company's residential low-income program. The settlement notes it doesn't resolve every outstanding issue, and tariff terms may shift based on the PUC's broader review of large load pricing.

Why This Matters Beyond the Bill

Tariff structure changes aren't just about what you pay today. They affect how suppliers price competitive supply contracts, how your load is measured for capacity obligation purposes and what products make sense for your facility going forward.

A change of this kind can shift the economics of fixed vs. index pricing, alter how demand charges are calculated during peak hours, and affect your exposure to capacity costs.

What to Do Now

If you are a large energy user such as manufacturers, distribution centers, data centers, hospitals, universities and multi-site commercial portfolios with aggregated load in PPL service territory, you should audit your strategy.

Before July 1 you should do the following:

• Confirm whether your accounts fall under the new tariff

• Review your current supply contract to understand how tariff changes are handled

• Assess whether your current product structure (fixed, index, or block-and-index) still makes sense under the new rate schedule

• Identify demand management steps that could reduce your peak exposure

This is exactly the kind of change that gets missed until it shows up on a bill three months later. Getting ahead of it now costs nothing. Getting caught off guard can cost significantly more.

If you operate a business in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or anywhere else in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) footprint, the MISO capacity auction just reshaped your energy bill. It absorbed one of the sharpest capacity cost increases in the market's history, and most businesses never saw it coming. Many still don't understand what changed.

Here's what happened, where things stand now, and what to do about it.

What is the MISO capacity auction?

The MISO capacity auction — formally the Planning Resource Auction (PRA) — is the annual market where MISO secures enough generating capacity to meet forecast peak demand plus a reliability buffer. It sets a clearing price in dollars per megawatt-day ($/MW-day), and that price flows through to the capacity charges embedded in what your business pays for electricity. When the auction clears high, your supply costs rise with it — usually before most buyers notice.

The 2025/26 MISO capacity auction spike

In MISO's 2024/25 planning year capacity auction, summer capacity cleared at $30/MW-day which is within the historical range.

One year later, the 2025/26 auction cleared at $666.50/MW-day, a more than 2,000% year-over-year increase. 

Three factors caused the spike:

• A new demand curve. The 2025/26 auction was the first to use MISO's new Reliability-Based Demand Curve (RBDC), which replaced the old vertical demand curve. The RBDC is designed to price in reliability risk more precisely, which means prices rise steeply when reserves are tight, rather than clearing near zero even when the grid is stressed.

• Accelerating retirements. Coal and older gas plants have been retiring faster than new capacity has come online, shrinking the pool of available supply.

• Declining surplus. MISO's summer surplus fell from approximately 6.5 GW in 2023 to 4.6 GW in 2024, and to just 2.6 GW in 2025. Less buffer means the market prices risk more aggressively.

2026/27 MISO Capacity Auction Results: Where Things Stand Now

The 2026/27 auction cleared at $424.30/MW-day, a decent drop from last year's record, driven by a 4% increase in offered capacity as new resources entered the market.

The less comfortable reality is that $424.30/MW-day is still among the highest prices in MISO's history, and still 14x what the market cleared in 2024. The structural pressure isn't easing. MISO projects peak load to grow from 121 GW in 2025 to 163 GW by 2035, driven by data centers, AI infrastructure and broader electrification of transportation and industrial processes. New supply is coming online, but it's racing against accelerating demand.

Know your Peak Load Contribution (PLC)

• Your supplier or utility can provide your current PLC. If you don't know this number, you're budgeting blind. Request it, then compare it year-over-year.

Manage demand during peak hours

• PLCs are largely determined by your load during a small number of critical summer afternoons, typically the hottest days in late July and August. Reducing consumption during those windows, even by 10–15%, can meaningfully lower your capacity obligation for the following year. HVAC setpoint adjustments, load shifting and demand response enrollment are all tools.

Think carefully about contract timing

• Capacity costs are embedded in supplier pricing. Locking in a multi-year contract when forward capacity prices are elevated means carrying that cost for the full term. Understanding the forward curve before you renew matters more than it used to.

Revisit your budget assumptions

• If your energy budget was built using pre-2025 capacity baselines, it's likely understating your actual costs. A current rate analysis will show the gap.

The Midwest capacity market has entered a new normal. The auction prices may fluctuate year to year, but the underlying drivers like load growth outpacing new supply, tighter reserve margins, a demand curve designed to price reliability risk, aren't temporary. Planning around last decade's numbers is a liability.

Key Takeaway

MISO's capacity auction cleared at $424.30/MW-day for 2026/27, still 14 times higher than 2024 despite easing from last year's record. The increase reflects a new demand curve, faster plant retirements and shrinking reserve margins, not a one-year fluke. Businesses in the MISO footprint should confirm their Peak Load Contribution, manage demand during peak summer afternoons, and factor current capacity prices into contract timing decisions.

What Is PJM Peak Load Contribution?

In the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland interconnection (PJM), the grid operator covering 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states, your building's peak load contribution (PLC) is the number that determines what you pay for capacity for an entire delivery year. Capacity charges are what businesses pay for the right to draw power from the grid, separate from the energy they actually use. They can represent 20–30% of a commercial electric bill.

The PLC is not an average. It is not based on your worst month. It is calculated from a single hour. Specifically, the hour your building drew the most power during PJM's five coincident peaks from the prior summer.

How the Five Coincident Peaks Work

Each summer, PJM identifies the five hours when total demand across the entire grid peaks highest. These moments typically occur on the hottest afternoons, in July and August, when cooling loads spike simultaneously across the region.

Your PLC is set by how much electricity your building consumed during the single highest of those five hours. That one number follows you for the next delivery year and directly sets your capacity cost.

For the 2027–28 delivery year, capacity cleared at $333.44 per megawatt-day in PJM's auction. That means a building with a high PLC pays that rate every single day of the year, regardless of whether it ever draws near that level of demand again.

The math compounds quickly. A building that could have reduced its load by even one megawatt during a peak hour would carry that reduction forward across an entire year of daily charges.

Why This Summer Matters More Than Usual

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) flagged elevated summer reliability risk in New England in its 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment, and noted prolonged-heat scenarios across the eastern grid as a concern. When heat lingers, the probability that any given afternoon will be a coincident peak increases.

That matters for one reason: you cannot identify a coincident peak until after it happens. PJM announces the five peaks retroactively, after the summer ends. By then, your PLC is already locked in.

This is not a situation where you can wait for a warning and react. The strategy has to be built before the summer, not during it.

What Shapes Your PLC and What You Can Do About It

Three actions directly reduce how much electricity your building draws during a peak window, which is the only way to lower your PLC.

• Pre-Cooling and lowering your building's temperature before a predicted peak window, typically between noon and 7 p.m. on high-risk days, so that mechanical cooling systems run less during the peak itself. A building that pre-cools to 68°F by 11 a.m. can often coast through a 3 p.m. grid peak without its HVAC system running at full load.

• Load Shifting and moving energy-intensive operations like manufacturing processes, electric vehicle charging, large data center batch jobs and others, outside of peak windows. The total energy consumed does not change, but the demand at the moment that matters does.

• Demand Response Programs pay businesses to curtail load when the grid is under stress. Participating does two things: it generates a payment, and it reduces your building's draw during the exact hours most likely to become coincident peaks.

Peak-day prediction tools can improve timing. Several forecast services track temperature, humidity and grid load to estimate high-risk windows, which lets facility teams act before a peak rather than after.

Why This Should Be Part of Your Pricing Strategy

Capacity costs are not variable in the way supply costs are. You cannot renegotiate them mid-year. The only lever is your behavior during five specific hours each summer.

That makes PLC management a direct cost-reduction strategy with a 12-month payoff window and no contract required. For commercial real estate owners, manufacturers, hospitality owners and other large energy users, treating peak windows as financial events rather than weather events is the clearest path to controlling a cost that otherwise resets against you every year.

Key Takeaway

Your PJM peak load contribution is set by a single hour each summer, and it can drive 20–30% of your annual electric bill through capacity charges. With capacity clearing at $333.44 per megawatt-day for 2027–28 and NERC warning of elevated heat risk this summer, pre-cooling, load shifting and demand response during predicted peak windows are the only tools available to lower next year's tag.

CHICAGO, June 11th, 2026 - Energy CX has been ranked No. 29 on Crain's Chicago Business Fast 50, the annual ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the Chicago area.

The Fast 50 ranks companies by revenue growth over the last five years. This year's class is a snapshot of Chicago's growth economy: the 50 honorees employ more than 36,000 workers combined and pulled in a collective $21.1 billion in revenue last year. Energy CX's placement reflects the company's sustained revenue growth, expanding national footprint and job creation during a period of historic energy market volatility.

"Making the Crain's Fast 50 is a milestone our entire team should be proud of. We're honored to be counted among Chicago's fastest-growing companies and hope to be back on this list for years to come." says Co-CEO Scott Hammes.

Founded in 2010, Energy CX is a leading national energy brokerage redefining how businesses buy energy. The company replaces fragmented tools and legacy broker models with a centralized, math-based buying platform that delivers transparency, efficiency and better outcomes for commercial and industrial energy buyers. Today, Energy CX manages more than 2 billion square feet of real estate across 20-plus deregulated states, and roughly 40% of the top 50 commercial real estate owners in the U.S. use its proprietary platform, ABEL™.

The recognition follows a stretch of measurable growth for Energy CX, with back-to-back appearances on the Inc. 5000 in 2024 and 2025. As volatility has pushed energy higher on the corporate agenda, more large energy users are moving from reactive renewals to smarter purchasing decisions, treating energy like a managed financial asset rather than a line item handled once a year.

"The Fast 50 ranks companies on growth, and ours comes from a simple bet: that large energy buyers should treat energy like a financial asset, not a bill they react to once a year. The market keeps proving that bet right. As volatility rises, more companies are looking for a real strategy, and that's the demand we're built to meet next." says Co-CEO Miles Rice.

About Crain's Chicago Business

Crain's Chicago Business is the leading source of business news and analysis for the Chicago region, covering the companies, executives and trends shaping the local economy. Its annual Fast 50 ranks the area's fastest-growing companies by revenue growth over the last five years. For more information, visit www.chicagobusiness.com.

On June 1, 2026, PECO's rate increase took effect,  and commercial customers in southeastern Pennsylvania took the biggest hit. Supply charges for small and mid-to-large commercial accounts increased 15%, moving from roughly 9.17–9.35¢/kWh to 10.55–10.73¢/kWh. It's the largest rate increase among Pennsylvania's major utilities this cycle, and it landed right as summer electricity demand begins to climb.

Why Did PECO Rates Increase?

Twice a year, Pennsylvania utilities reset their default supply rates through what's called a Generation Supply Adjustment (GSA). The GSA reflects wholesale electricity market conditions, PJM capacity costs and the cost of grid infrastructure investments.

PECO's June increase is partly tied to its Reliability and Resiliency 2030 Plan: a $1.97 billion commitment to modernize aging grid equipment and improve storm resilience across its southeast Pennsylvania service territory. These infrastructure costs are being passed through to ratepayers.

The PA Public Utility Commission confirmed the changes on May 20, noting that several other utilities also adjusted rates on June 1, though PECO's commercial increase was the steepest in the state. For context, Duquesne Light mid-to-large commercial customers saw a 10% increase; Penelec customers saw 6.3%; West Penn Power, 7.2%.

What Does the PECO Rate Increase Mean for Your Bill? 

A 15% increase sounds manageable in percentage terms but in dollar terms, it adds up fast. A PECO commercial customer using 100,000 kWh per month for one property will pay roughly $1,300 more each month resulting in over $15,600 more per year. For multi-site businesses or energy-intensive facilities, it will add up quickly.

With summer heat on the way, total consumption will rise too. Higher rates combined with higher usage is a compounding problem.

Here's What Most Pennsylvania Businesses Don't Know

These rate changes only apply to customers on PECO's default service: businesses that haven't selected a retail electricity supplier.

Pennsylvania is a deregulated energy market. That means you don't have to buy electricity at whatever rate PECO sets. Businesses can shop for energy from competitive retail suppliers and step off the utility's price-change treadmill entirely.

If your business is already working with a supplier, your generation costs won't move until that contract expires. If you're on default service, or if your contract is expiring soon, you're now exposed to whatever the market is doing when you renew.

This is exactly the situation where having visibility into the competitive market matters. A rate comparison takes a few days, not weeks, and the window to act before summer peak pricing fully sets in is narrow.

What to Do Now

Check which rate class your business falls under and pull a recent bill to confirm whether you're on PECO default service or a competitive supplier. If it says "PECO" under the generation/supply charge, you're on default and paying the new rate.

Key Takeaway

PECO's June 2026 rate increase raised commercial supply charges 15% for customers on default service, driven by rising PJM capacity costs and PECO's $1.97 billion grid investment plan. Businesses already under a supplier contract won't feel the change until renewal, but those on default service or renewing soon can shop competitive suppliers instead of absorbing the utility's new rate. Pennsylvania's deregulated market gives businesses that choice, and the window to compare rates before summer peak pricing narrows further is short.

When temperatures start to heat up, so does the energy market. With warmer weather, cooling demand rises, grid stress builds and without the right strategy in place, that could mean your energy bill is feeling the heat.

As we move into June, ahead of the hottest summer months, commercial buyers should assess their strategy before the temperatures, and prices, begin to climb.

Know What's on the Forecast

This summer is on track to have more variables than most, with a Super El Niño expected to push prices up on both the East and West coasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently predicting that El Nino is likely to emerge soon with an 82% chance in May to July 2026. That means:

• West Coast buyers face reduced hydro output as snowpack thins meaning gas plants fill the gap, and prices follow.

• Northeast buyers are looking at above-normal 90-degree days running through gas-dominant generation, stacked against RGGI carbon permit prices near record highs.

But it’s not just the Super El Niño that could impact energy prices. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) is speculating that this could be the hottest summer on record, or at least close to it, with their projections anticipating an 8.5% rise in electricity bills across the nation.

Review Your Demand Profile

Summer is when demand charges bite hardest. If your facility runs heavier cooling loads in June through August, your peak demand intervals likely land in those months too. One high-demand day in July can set the demand charge component of your bill for the full month.

Simple steps that can reduce exposure:

• Shift non-essential load out of on-peak hours (typically 2–7 PM, weekdays)

• Check whether your building's HVAC setpoints have drifted since last season

• If you have multiple sites, confirm which locations are most exposed to demand spikes

None of this requires a capital investment. It requires knowing where your exposure is before the heat arrives.

Confirm Your Contract Renewal Timeline

Peak season is also when energy suppliers price risk at a premium. If your contract expires in the next 12 months, summer can be a risky time to renew because it means you're buying at the top of the seasonal price curve.

Check your expiration date now. If you have flexibility, locking in fall or winter, which are historically lower-demand months, tends to produce better results than renewing under summer pressure.

The Bigger Picture

Energy costs don't move on the same calendar your contract does. Weather events, grid constraints and commodity shifts don't wait for your renewal window. The buyers who manage cost most effectively are the ones treating procurement as an ongoing process, not an annual event.

Key Takeaway

Summer heat drives both energy demand and prices higher, so a contract or demand strategy that worked in spring can leave a business exposed by August. Reviewing your demand profile and renewal timeline before peak season, rather than during it, is what keeps costs predictable.

Most businesses tracking energy costs are watching their bills go up and wondering what to do about it. Fewer are watching a calendar date that could determine whether their next renewable energy project pays for itself, or doesn't.

That upcoming date is July 4, 2026. And if your business has any renewable energy or on-site generation projects in the pipeline, you need to understand what happens when it passes.

What Changed

In July 2025, Congress passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which rolled back significant clean energy tax incentives established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—including the Investment Tax Credit and Production Tax Credit that commercial buyers had been counting on for solar, battery storage and on-site generation projects.

But the rollback isn't immediate for everyone. Businesses that begin construction before July 4, 2026 can still access the traditional four-year safe harbor, preserving IRA-era tax credit eligibility through 2030. If you miss the window, projects must be placed in service by December 31, 2027, a timeline most capital projects can't meet. The difference in tax credit value is often 20–30% of total project cost.

How This Impacts Commercial Energy Purchasing

This isn't just a story about capital projects. It reshapes how you buy energy altogether.

When on-site generation becomes less financially attractive, businesses lean harder on market-rate supply contracts. And those contracts are getting more expensive. In the past five years, natural gas prices surged to record highs in 2022 followed by a gradual recovery toward historical averages in 2025-2026. Businesses that planned to offset these steep prices with on-site generation now have less cushion.

Companies with public sustainability commitments also need to revisit their roadmaps. The credits that made on-site generation the cost-effective path to hitting emissions targets are expiring, and RECs or carbon offsets may need to fill the gap.

What Projects Could Still Qualify

The most accessible project types to tackle before the deadline include:

• On-site solar

• Battery storage

• Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs)

• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems

To qualify, you must either begin significant physical work or pay at least 5% of the total project cost before July 4th, a signed contract alone doesn't count.

Key Takeaway 

The July 4, 2026 deadline is not theoretical. It is a hard legislative cutoff that determines whether businesses can access tax credits worth, in many cases, 20–30 cents on every dollar of project investment. Most businesses won't know this deadline exists until it has passed.

On April 28, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved PJM’s request to extend its capacity auction price collar for two additional delivery years. This decision is projected to save 67 million electricity buyers across the PJM footprint roughly $27 billion on their energy bills.

For commercial real estate owners with portfolios across PJM’s 13-state region, which spans from Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. to Chicago, Philadelphia and northern New Jersey, the PJM capacity price cap extension brings a measure of predictability to one of the most volatile commodities. But it doesn’t eliminate the underlying pressure, and the next auction is only weeks away.

In this blog, we’ll cover what the extension does, why it’s happening and what commercial real estate owners should be watching.

What Does the PJM Capacity Price Cap Extension Actually Change?

The price collar caps how high, and how low, PJM’s capacity auction can clear. Under the extended framework, prices are bounded by a $325/MW-day ceiling (the cap) and a $175/MW-day floor.

That collar will apply to two auctions: the Base Residual Auction closing July 7, 2026, which procures capacity for the 2028/2029 delivery year and the auction closing December 15, 2026, for the 2029/2030 delivery year. Without the extension, the 2028/2029 auction was scheduled to run with a $550/MW-day cap and no floor, a structure that, given current grid conditions, would almost certainly have produced another record-high clearing price.

For context, the most recent 2027/2028 auction cleared at $333.44/MW-day, which was the maximum allowable under the original temporary cap. Three PJM capacity auctions in a row have now cleared at or near their ceiling.

Why Did PJM Extend the Capacity Price Cap?

The capacity market exists to make sure there’s enough committed generation to meet peak demand three years out. When supply tightens, prices spike and PJM’s supply is tightening fast.

The single biggest driver is data centers. PJM’s footprint contains the world’s largest concentration of data centers in Northern Virginia, with significant new build-out underway across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois. PJM’s most recent demand forecast jumped significantly, with nearly all of that growth attributable to AI infrastructure and large-load interconnections.

That demand surge has run ahead of new generation coming online. The result is a structural supply-demand imbalance that capacity auctions, if left uncapped, translate directly into pass-through costs on every customer’s bill.

The price collar is one piece of a broader PJM Board reform package designed to contain volatility while the grid catches up. Combined with prior market interventions, total projected savings now stand at roughly $45 billion over the four years the collar will be in effect.

What Does the Extension Mean for Commercial Real Estate Portfolios?

Capacity charges show up on commercial electricity bills as a pass-through cost, typically a per-kW or per-kWh adder calibrated to each property’s contribution to peak demand. When auction prices clear higher, those adders rise. For a large multi-state commercial real estate portfolio, capacity costs can swing six- and seven-figure annual totals based on a single auction outcome.

The extension does three useful things for commercial real estate owners:

1. It puts a ceiling on the worst case. A $325 cap is still elevated by historical standards, but it removes the tail risk of an uncapped auction clearing well above $500/MW-day.

2. It improves budget visibility through 2030. Capacity costs are now bounded for the next four delivery years, which makes multi-year contract decisions less of a guessing game.

3. It does not eliminate volatility. A $175 floor means capacity costs won’t collapse if the supply picture suddenly improves. CRE owners locking in long-dated contracts still need to model where within the collar prices are likely to clear.

What to Watch Next

The July 7 auction is the first real test of the extended collar. If it clears at or near the $325 ceiling, as the last three auctions have, that confirms the market is still supply-constrained even with the cap in place. The signal would be continued upward pressure on capacity-driven line items through at least the 2029/2030 delivery year.

Commercial real estate owners should be asking three questions right now:

• Do my current supply contracts pass capacity costs through, and at what reference price?

• Are my properties in load zones (like Dominion, BGE, or PSEG) where capacity charges run highest?

• Does my procurement strategy treat capacity as a managed variable, or am I absorbing whatever the auction returns?

Key Takeaway

The PJM capacity price cap extension is good news. It’s also a reminder that the underlying market is still tight, and the buyers who treat energy like an investment, not a line item, are the ones who come out ahead.

On May 1, 2026, New York City's Department of Buildings began issuing the first real penalty notices under Local Law 97: $268 per metric ton of CO₂ over the city-defined limit. For most building owners, emissions limits and energy audits probably aren't the first thing on their mind when running a property, but the financial impact is real and growing.

While less than 10% of NYC's ~50,000 covered buildings exceeded their cap in the first compliance period, roughly 57% are projected to blow past the stricter 2030 limits if nothing changes. The good news? Like any market shift, NYC's building performance laws follow a predictable trajectory, and owners who plan around it instead of reacting to it are the ones who avoid penalties, unlock incentives and protect their asset values long-term.

What is Local Law 97?

While businesses are only seeing the direct effect now, these NYC local laws were actually passed all the way back in 2019. Local Law 97 (LL97) is the cornerstone of the city's Climate Mobilization Act, setting hard carbon emissions limits for the city's largest buildings as part of NYC's push toward net zero by 2050. Here’s what it actually means and who it affects.

What it covers:

• Buildings over 25,000 square feet

• Two or more buildings within the same tax lot exceeding 50,000 square feet combined

• Two or more condo buildings under the same managerial board exceeding 50,000 square feet combined

What it does:

• Sets hard carbon caps that tighten over time

• Mandates a 40% emissions reduction by 2030 and 80% by 2050

• Enforcement officially began in 2024, with the first real penalties being assessed in May of 2026

What is Local Law 87?

Passed alongside its sister law, LL87 takes a different angle on driving down emissions. Rather than capping carbon directly, it requires larger buildings to take a hard look under the hood every decade to surface where energy is being wasted and where smarter upgrades could pay for themselves. Here's how it works.

What it covers:

• Individual buildings over 50,000 gross square feet

• Tax lots with combined building footprints over 100,000 square feet

• Condo buildings collectively exceeding 100,000 square feet

What it does:

• Requires a professional energy audit every 10 years that identifies where the building is wasting energy and what upgrades would pay for themselves

• Mandates retro-commissioning of base building systems to make sure equipment is running as efficiently as it was designed to

• Requires owners to file an Energy Efficiency Report (EER) with the city following each audit cycle

What this Means for Your Business

While LL97 and LL87 may seem like simple boxes to check, they indicate a growing trend of increasing energy awareness and management. Compliance isn’t optional, and the costs of getting it wrong scale with building size. Used strategically, the LL87 audit becomes a roadmap to every place your building is leaking energy and money. The LL97 caps put a deadline on capital decisions you'd have to make eventually anyway.

It's the difference between reactive compliance—penalties, deferred upgrades, climbing operating costs—and strategic compliance, where every dollar spent works double duty on emissions and asset value.

Key Takeaway

Local Law 97 and Local Law 87 both aim to cut carbon emissions from New York City's largest buildings, and enforcement is no longer theoretical: penalty notices are already going out. Building owners who use the LL87 audit to plan upgrades and treat LL97's tightening caps as a deadline for capital decisions avoid penalties and protect asset value, rather than reacting after the fact.

In his latest Forbes article, President of Energy CX, Nathan Rice, shares his thoughts on the role AI and automation should have in every business. Although rapid technology growth presents opportunities to streamline workflows, prevent mistakes and optimize operations, like any function, AI has its limitations.

With the rapid growth of AI, companies that don’t take advantage of new technology and automation could fall behind. Determining how these new tools can be implemented into your business is essential to using them successfully. In the article, Rice discusses why automation should be used as a tool, but not as a replacement for customer experience. Businesses that replace the human element of genuine connections with automation risk forfeiting developing meaningful customer relationships. In order to prevent this, Rice suggests that each business build an Automation Code of Ethics that will guide how new technology can be implemented.

While automation is a cornerstone of productivity, building trust remains a uniquely human skill. Rice emphasizes that even though communication requires extra effort, the rewards businesses will see from building lasting customer relationships and building trust will be extremely valuable. “The future of leadership isn’t human versus AI.” Rice says, “It’s human, powered by AI. It’s automation with a heartbeat. And that’s how you keep your business alive.”

You can read the full article here. ​

CHICAGO, March 5, 2026 – Energy CX has been named a Top Sales Organization in Chicago by RepVue on its list of 2026 Reppy Award winners.

“This award is a reflection of the culture we’ve worked hard to build at Energy CX. We believe great sales organizations aren’t driven by pressure — they’re driven by purpose,” says Energy CX Director of Sales Jordan Quertermous. “When you hire a great team and you focus relentlessly on the customer, high performance will follow. Our team takes extreme ownership of their work and constantly pushes each other to reach their full potential..”

The Reppy Awards are given out biannually to sales organizations that are top performers in key categories such as Culture & Leadership, Compensation, Product-Market Fit and more.

“We’re proud to be recognized by RepVue as an ‘exceptional’ sales organization. This is a testament to the hard work, discipline and leadership of our team, who set clear goals and are committed to achieving them together,” says Business Development Lead Cam Redding.

Energy CX achieved a record-setting year of growth and recognition. Last year, the company expanded its presence and grew its workforce over 58% while reducing energy costs for 2 billion+ square feet of real estate, delivering on its mission to drive energy innovation and control spend in an increasingly volatile market.

Since 2010, the award-winning company has replaced fragmented tools and legacy broker models with its Analytics-based Energy Logic platform, ABEL™. Energy CX’s proprietary platform is a one-stop shop for managing energy portfolios, offering customers a centralized view of properties, contracts, budgets, invoices and performance—backed by math-based recommendations.

RepVue and the Reppy Awards

At RepVue, we believe that sales reps deserve better information to make important career decisions. With more than 225,000 users, RepVue is the leading platform for B2B sales reps to rate their sales org based on factors like Culture & Leadership, Compensation, Product-Market Fit and more. RepVue awards Reppys to the top sales orgs in each of these categories — as well as to the overall top-rated orgs and top-rated orgs by metro area in the U.S. and around the world.

The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Rising demand, increasing volatility, rapid renewable adoption and evolving regulatory pressures have made energy markets far more dynamic than they were even a decade ago. In response, one capability has emerged as a defining force shaping the future of the industry: data analytics.

From grid operations and generation planning to procurement and portfolio management, data analytics is enabling energy stakeholders to move from reactive decision-making to predictive, strategy-driven execution.

Advancing Smart Grid Management

One of the most visible impacts of data analytics is occurring at the grid level. As renewable generation expands, power systems must manage more intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar. According to the International Energy Agency, renewables will constitute 42% of the electricity grid by 2028 as wind and solar contribute the greatest, doubling to 25%. Analytics tools help grid operators forecast renewable output, predict demand swings, and balance supply in real time.

Advanced monitoring systems also use predictive analytics to identify potential equipment failures before outages occur, allowing utilities to perform maintenance proactively. Deloitte reports that predictive maintenance can lower costs by 25% and reduce breakdowns by 70%. This shift toward predictive grid management improves reliability, reduces operational costs and enhances overall system stability.

Transforming Energy Procurement and Risk Management

For commercial and industrial energy users, data analytics are reshaping how energy purchasing decisions are made. Instead of relying on one-time contract decisions or simple supplier comparisons, organizations can now use analytics to evaluate procurement strategies continuously.

This approach treats energy less like a commodity purchase and more like a managed financial asset—one that can be optimized through strategic, data-informed decision-making.

Supporting the Growth of Renewable Energy

The expansion of renewable energy is another area where analytics plays a critical role. Because renewable generation is weather-dependent, accurate forecasting is essential for both grid stability and pricing dynamics. Data analytics improves renewable forecasting by combining meteorological data, historical generation patterns and real-time system signals.

In addition, analytics helps companies evaluate renewable procurement options, model long-term cost impacts, and assess sustainability strategies in a way that balances environmental goals with financial performance.

Key Takeaway 

Data analytics is no longer a supporting function within the energy industry—it is becoming the foundation for how modern energy systems operate. Organizations that embrace analytics-driven approaches gain the ability to anticipate market shifts, manage risk more effectively and optimize performance across operations and procurement.

By transforming complex market signals into actionable insights, data analytics is helping the energy industry become more resilient, efficient and prepared for the challenges of the future.

One of the biggest challenges threatening the stability of the energy grid is strain due to demand spikes, increased volatility and extreme weather conditions. AI growth, electrification and the expansion of data centers are pushing load to new highs. These pressures don’t just affect energy prices, they raise the risk of grid instability. With new generation often taking multiple years to deploy, the industry is asking a critical question: what can realistically stabilize the grid in the near future?

Battery Energy Storage System technology is rapidly scaling to help alleviate these pressures. Battery storage has evolved from a once experimental solution to one of the most powerful tools for stabilizing the electric grid and controlling energy costs.

What is a Battery Energy Storage System?

Battery storage systems collect electricity from renewable and traditional generation sources, store it and dispatch it later when demand increases. Think of battery storage as a shock absorber for the grid. Because they are able to store power when prices are low, often during periods of lower demand or high renewable output, they can release power when prices are high as well as respond instantly to grid disruptions.

Battery storage systems' ability to store cheap energy has had a direct impact on some markets. For example, battery storage systems in Texas resulted in consumers saving $750 million in energy costs in the summer of 2024 alone.

Battery storage systems are critical for renewable integration. They are able to store excess solar energy generated during the day, so it can be released in the evening when demand rises but solar production drops.

Another valuable aspect of battery storage systems is that they are able to be deployed faster than new power plants. Where coal and nuclear power plants can take anywhere from 6 to 15 years to deploy, battery storage is able to be deployed in less than 2 years. This allows for more immediate support for a grid that is buckling under the pressure of unprecedented increased demand.

How Battery Storage Strengthens the Grid

Power outages aren’t just inconvenient, they can result in financial losses, property damage and sometimes have life threatening impacts, especially during severe weather events. Because battery storage is able to respond swiftly, they can help prevent power outages and improve reliability. These systems are able to deploy stored energy to help maintain stability during extreme cold and heat events, keeping electricity flowing to prevent outages.

Battery storage systems can also be strategically placed near dense load centers and areas of high congestion. In regions experiencing rapid growth from data centers or large commercial development, localized storage helps reduce congestion and relieve pressure on transmission infrastructure.

How Battery Storage Impacts Commercial Energy Buyers

For large energy users, price swings don’t just mean higher energy bills, they can directly impact their bottom line. While volatility due to extreme weather and increased demand won’t be smoothed overnight, battery storage systems are helping alleviate strain. A more stable grid means less risk of disruption and emergency price spikes. Battery storage can also help reduce peak load stress because they store energy when it’s cheap and affordable.

As battery storage continues to scale, it has potential to alleviate some of the negative impacts from the volatile market on commercial energy buyers. Areas that have robust support from battery storage systems can adjust procurement strategies to reflect increased stability and reliability.

The Bigger Picture

Battery storage systems are not an antidote for an ailing grid, but they are valuable in maintaining grid stability while the industry adjusts to increased demand and volatility. As demand continues to grow, battery storage is emerging as a foundational tool in building a more affordable and reliable energy system.

For commercial energy buyers, understanding how battery storage is reshaping grid dynamics is essential. Procurement strategy should evolve alongside structural changes in the market, not just react to short-term price movements.

Key Takeaway

Battery storage is becoming one of the fastest, most flexible tools for stabilizing a grid under strain from rising demand and extreme weather. For commercial energy buyers, that added stability is a reason to build procurement strategy around structural market shifts, not just react to short-term price swings.

By: April Dvorak and Jim Davis

Professional drive is healthy. It channels energy toward growth, innovation and the optimization of potential. But it can have a dark side, if we lose control of the reins.

It is easy to become caught in constant pursuit of the next thing. It might be the next promotion, the next project, the next opportunity to prove our worth. Our sense of value comes from progress, recognition and external signals of success. Many professionals live in this rhythm.

Except more often than not, it does not fall into rhythm at all. It feels more like a stressful, strained linear climb. We begin to wonder if we are doing enough, or moving quickly enough, to be seen as valuable. For many, this strained mindset becomes the seed of hesitation and even burnout - interrupting the progress at which we aimed. For some, the drive to perform is their primary performance inhibitor.

This might all come down to a simple but under-recognized idea: the misalignment of what we value and how we feel valued.

For example, one might say that their primary values are family, friends and health. Yet they feel valued through social media approval or material items - which is not to say that any of those things are bad, or they are misdirected for wanting them. Only that it is worth reflecting on the potential disconnect.

Slowing down and getting clear on what is important to you can feel good and create a pathway to sustainable high performance.

What’s Important to You?

Before identifying your desired title, or how much money you want to make, you might first ask, what is important to me? What are my values?

Who do I want to be? Not in a job title, but as a coworker, friend, family member and beyond. Then work backwards through daily actions. Am I offering a helping hand to the coworker who seems stressed? Do I make people around me feel welcomed and appreciated?

Am I kind? Am I caring? Am I creative? This sort of question shifts attention inward. When internal values define the barometer of success, we can reclaim agency over sense of meaning. Here, “success” can move from abstract and unattainable, to sustainable and fulfilling.

It sounds nice. But it’s easier said than done.

Since we can’t objectively "measure" the success of these things, we have to be intentional about reflecting on them.

This kind of reflection often happens in quiet moments. It can arise on the walk to work, before bed, or during a session with a trusted counselor. In those moments, the noise of external comparison fades. We can distinguish between what we truly believe and what has been imposed by culture or circumstance. We can break free from cultures of constant availability, perpetual stress and a disconnected drive toward outcomes identified by, well, not ourselves.

That realization does not erase ambition or the desire to improve. It simply reorients it. Tangible goals like a promotion or public acclaim will come more naturally when living in alignment with our values. And, once accomplished, come with a deeper sense of fulfillment.

When we are in tune with our values, awareness expands. We notice more in our environment and relationships. We become more generous and less guarded. Letting go of a scarcity mindset, for example, allows generosity to grow as a genuine value rather than a strategic gesture. These small shifts create space for integrity to take root in daily life.

Worth it.

None of this is easy. Self-doubt does not disappear. Even when we commit to living by internal values, moments of questioning remain. The difference is that those doubts become more sustainable. They no longer demand external approval. Instead, they call us to close the internal gap between who we are and who we want to be.

When our worth depends only on external success, it remains fragile. A company can restructure. A role can change. Recognition can fade. When our worth is grounded in values such as kindness, curiosity and generosity, it endures. The motivation to improve still exists, but it comes from a desire to live more fully, not from fear of being left behind.

We are living during a time of unprecedented technological growth. Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at hyper speed, and while these advancements are celebrated by many, some fear the impact that the increase in data center energy consumption will have on the electric grid.

Many large energy users worry that already high energy prices could continue to rise as we demand more of data centers in the name of technological advancement. In a world focused on innovation and productivity, data center growth will not slow down; so what potential do data centers have to reshape energy demand? 

How Much Energy Do Data Centers Use?

Data centers use an exceptional amount of energy due to a few factors. 

• Large Computing Power: data centers can house tens of thousands of servers that run complex tasks, which require specialized, power-intensive chips. 

• Cooling: due to the amount of servers running, a large amount of heat is generated that has to be offset through air conditioning, chillers and liquid cooling. The process of cooling uses almost as much power as the servers themselves. 

• 24/7 Operation: data centers are required to run around the clock to provide constant access to data and services. This requires an uninterrupted power supply.

For reference, in 2024, data centers used about four percent of the nation’s electricity, which is about the same amount as New York City and Chicago combined. With data center growth not expected to slow down anytime soon, the grid will have to adapt in order to support the increasing demand. 

What Does Rising Data Center Energy Consumption Mean for Energy Users?

As data centers reshape energy demand, the ripple effects are already showing up in capacity prices, congestion costs and increased market volatility. The effect of increased demand is also felt disproportionately across the country. Data centers have a tendency to concentrate in specific regions that offer cheap power, sufficient land and enough water to fuel cooling systems. Virginia, for example, is home to the world’s largest data center market with data centers accounting for approximately 26% of the state’s electricity demand. In these data center heavy regions, concerns grow not only about electric prices but about the grid’s reliability. 

Although increased demand can be state-specific, the effects can be felt across entire Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs). The recent PJM Capacity auction results are an example of how increased demand can impact millions of customers across an RTO. 

What Could Offset the Rising Demand?

It is true that data centers are contributing to increased strain on the grid and higher energy prices, however, it’s important to note that they use just two percent of global electricity today. While the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing has led to a boom in data center development, the demand growth from data centers is expected to be less than electric vehicles and industrial operations, for example. 

If data center operators invest in energy efficient solutions and are flexible when it comes to how they use energy, it could significantly offset the increased demand on the grid. 

While new generation, grid updates and investing in better infrastructure is the long-term solution, the energy market can’t wait to act while demand rises. One short-term solution is for data centers to enroll in Demand Response programs (DR programs) that can help alleviate strain quickly. Even though data centers operate 24/7, DR programs can help curtail their heavy usage on the grid during peak demand periods. Battery storage systems and switching to backup generators are two ways in which data centers participating in a DR program can reduce their energy. When data centers change the way they use energy, it helps protect other energy users from higher bills and an unstable grid. 

How Does Increased Demand Impact Energy Strategy?

With growing volatility and higher prices, large energy users with no strategy in place leave themselves vulnerable to an increasingly unpredictable market. In the past, fluctuating prices were an exception, but with demand continuing to ramp up these high prices and cost swings should be regarded as an expectation. Having an energy strategy in place can help control spend, reduce risk and most importantly relieve anxiety.

Key Takeaway

Data center energy consumption is rising fast enough to strain the electric grid and push up capacity prices, especially in data-center-heavy regions like Virginia and PJM territory. Even so, data centers account for a smaller share of electricity demand growth than sectors like electric vehicles and industrial operations. Energy efficiency, flexible operations and demand response programs can help offset the added strain while the grid catches up.

Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and carbon offsets both support sustainability goals, but they represent completely different things: RECs represent renewable electricity generation, while offsets represent emissions reduced or avoided somewhere else. For large energy users, understanding the difference matters. The choices you make can impact cost, credibility, and how meaningful your sustainability efforts actually are. We’ll break down what each one means and how it can benefit your business.

What Are RECs?

RECS represent the environmental attributes of electricity generated from renewable sources like wind, solar or hydro. When a renewable facility produces electricity, it creates both physical power and a REC. These two components can be sold separately.

Purchasing a REC allows an organization to claim that a specific amount of its electricity consumption came from renewable sources, even if the physical power delivered to the building comes from the traditional grid. In other words, RECs are renewable energy generated on your behalf. In most cases, one REC equals one megawatt-hour (MWh) of renewable electricity generated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

RECs are commonly used to support renewable energy development and to meet voluntary sustainability goals or regulatory requirements. They are also relatively straightforward to track and report, making them a popular option for organizations looking to reduce their emissions.

What Are Carbon Offsets?

Carbon offsets work differently. Instead of representing renewable electricity generation, offsets represent reductions or removals of greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. These projects can include reforestation, methane capture, landfill gas projects or investments in energy efficiency.

When an organization purchases a carbon offset, it is compensating for emissions it could not eliminate directly. Offsets are typically measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) and can apply to a wider range of emissions.

While offsets can play a role in a broader sustainability strategy, they vary widely in quality and credibility. Not all offset projects deliver the same environmental impact, and the benefits are often harder to verify.

Key Differences That Matter

The most important distinction between RECs and carbon offsets is what they actually represent. RECs are tied directly to electricity generation, while offsets are tied to emissions reductions that occur somewhere else.

RECs are generally considered a more direct and transparent tool for addressing electricity-related emissions. Carbon offsets, on the other hand, are often used as a last step when emissions cannot be reduced through operational changes or cleaner energy sourcing.

Another key difference is market consistency. REC markets tend to be more standardized, while offset markets can be fragmented, with varying standards and verification processes.

Key Takeaway

RECs and carbon offsets can both support sustainability goals, but only when used intentionally and responsibly. Understanding the difference helps organizations make decisions that are credible and align with long-term business strategy. Which option is right for your business depends on your goals, budget and energy footprint.

A capacity charge is a fee added to your commercial electric bill that pays for the power plants the grid keeps on standby for its highest-demand hours. It has nothing to do with the commodity rate you locked in, and for many businesses, it's one of the largest line items on the bill. 

If you’re buying energy in a deregulated market, understanding capacity costs is essential to controlling risk and building accurate budgets. Here’s what you need to know.

What Are Capacity Charges?

Capacity costs are fees you pay to ensure the electric grid has enough power plants available to meet demand, especially on the hottest or coldest days of the year.

Capacity charges are often one of the largest line items on a commercial bill. Unlike your energy rate, they’re driven by how the grid plans for your future demand, not just what you use today.

Grid operators like PJM Interconnection (PJM), Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE) and New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) run capacity auctions where power plants get paid to stay ready. The total cost of that readiness is then passed through to customers based on their contribution to the system’s peak demand.

In simple terms, if your business uses more energy during the grid’s peak hour, you pay more capacity costs.

What's the Difference Between a Capacity Cost and a Capacity Tag?

Capacity auctions determine the price for each area being served. Prior to each auction, grid operators will provide estimates for each region's peak electricity usage. The auction exists to ensure that there is enough capacity to accommodate the estimated peak usage. 

The capacity charges on your bill are made up of two parts, the capacity cost and the capacity tag. But what is a capacity cost vs. a capacity tag? 

The capacity cost is the price set per kilowatt hour (kWh) by the grid operator. The capacity tag, also called your peak load contribution (PLC), is the total kWh used by your building on the peak hours of the peak days. 

Capacity tags are determined on an annual basis. At the end of each summer, the regional transmission organization (RTO) is required to identify the highest peak load hours that occurred during a specific period. The utility then measures each customer's usage during those hours to calculate that customer's peak load contribution.

Why Do Capacity Charges Matter for Your Business?

Capacity isn't a small line item. It's often one of the top three drivers of cost for commercial buyers.

Capacity auctions, which occur a few times a year, determine capacity prices one to three years before the delivery year. That means decisions happening today affect what you’ll pay far into the future, even if the market looks calm right now.

For example, the July 2025 PJM capacity auction cleared 22% higher than the previous year, meaning many businesses will see significant increases on their bills in the 2026/2027 delivery year.

How Can You Reduce Your Capacity Charge?

Because your capacity charge is set by your usage during a handful of peak grid hours each year, cutting usage in those specific hours lowers what you pay for the entire following year.

Three common strategies businesses use to reduce their capacity charges are:

• Peak shaving: reducing load during forecasted peak hours by curtailing non-essential equipment or drawing from on-site storage.

• Load shifting: moving flexible operations, like charging, pumping, or batch processing, to off-peak hours.

• Timing around the coincident peak: using grid peak forecasts to know which hours actually drive your capacity tag, so you act only when it counts.

Implementing one, or all, of these strategies can help reduce your capacity charges overall. Peak hours, however, are only confirmed after the fact, so a reliable forecast is just as important in reducing capacity charges.

How Should You Manage Your Capacity Charges?

Ignoring capacity leads to surprises. Managing it well leads to savings and stability.

Effective capacity management starts with knowing your building's coincident peak hours before they happen, not after the utility bill arrives. Facilities that track grid peak forecasts can adjust operations in the hours that actually set next year's capacity tag, rather than reacting to a bill they can't change. Pairing that forecast with an ongoing energy management strategy turns capacity from a once-a-year surprise into a cost that's monitored and planned for like any other capital expense.

Key Takeaway

A capacity charge is what a business pays for the grid to keep enough power plants ready for its highest-demand hours, calculated from the capacity cost (the per-kWh price) multiplied by the capacity tag (how much energy the building used during the year's peak hours). Because the capacity tag is set once a year based on those peak hours, tracking peak forecasts and shifting load away from them is the most direct way to lower next year's charge.

In his latest Forbes article, Nathan Rice, President of Energy Strategy at Energy CX, shares practical insights on how businesses can stay connected with customers as the year comes to a close. Many business leaders are familiar with the Q4 slump. As holiday schedules fill up and inboxes empty, connecting with customers can become difficult. Closing deals and booking meetings often feels more challenging at the end of the year, but according to Rice, Q4 doesn’t have to be written off as a lost cause if we reframe our view of it.

In the article, Rice encourages leaders to rethink how they approach customer engagement during this time. One key takeaway: get out of the office. Connecting with customers in person whether at industry events or holiday gatherings, can create more meaningful conversations than another end-of-year email ever could.

Rice also highlights Q4 as a natural moment for reflection. As businesses look ahead to the new year, this period offers an opportunity to assess customer relationships, reinforce trust and identify ways to deliver even more value in the next year. 

By reframing the end-of-year slowdown as a strategic opportunity, businesses can strengthen relationships and get a head start on 2026. 

You can read the full article here. 

Demand response is a program that pays businesses to temporarily reduce their electricity use when the power grid is under stress. For commercial real estate owners, it's one of the simplest ways to earn new revenue while supporting grid stability. Here's how it works, and how to know if your buildings are a good fit. 

What Is a Demand Response Program?

Demand response programs incentivize businesses to temporarily reduce their electricity usage during “peak demand” periods. Peak demand periods occur when the grid is under the most stress, typically during a heat wave or cold snap. 

Instead of relying on older power plants to meet sudden demand spikes, grid operators and utilities pay businesses to reduce their load for a short period. This provides the grid with relief without the time and cost of building new generation assets.

When managed properly, demand response programs can offer commercial real estate owners substantial financial benefits. 

Who Is a Good Fit for Demand Response?

Not every building is a strong candidate, but commercial properties with substantial load, operational flexibility or on-site generation can perform extremely well in demand response programs.

For example, an office building enrolled in a demand response program could adjust HVAC settings and dim or reduce lighting in common areas during a peak demand event. An industrial manufacturing facility could respond by moving operations to off-peak hours and utilizing backup generators. 

Demand response providers, including utilities and aggregators, work closely with businesses to design plans that fit their operations and avoid tenant disruptions. Most events last four to six hours, and businesses receive 24-hour notice ahead of peak events.

You Met the Demand, What’s the Reward? 

Compensation varies by region, building type and level of participation. Below are some of the main types of payments customers will see. 

• Capacity payments: Upfront payments for committing to a specific load reduction amount during the demand response season.

• Energy Payments: Additional payments based on how much electricity you actually reduce during an event. 

• Revenue protection: If curtailment temporarily slows operations, many programs compensate for lost production.

• Avoiding price spikes: customers will save money by not having to pay for energy when prices skyrocket. 

Beyond Money: The Sustainability Factor

Demand response is one of the most immediate sustainability wins available to commercial real estate portfolios. When demand spikes and no relief is available, grid operators often turn to older oil-fired plants that emit high levels of pollution. By participating in demand response programs commercial real estate owners help reduce emissions and can make progress towards their sustainability goals. 

It’s a rare win-win: better grid reliability and measurable environmental benefit.

So You Think Demand Response is Right for Your Company? 

While it may not be the perfect fit for every business, if your company can make some of the adjustments during a peak demand event it might be worth looking into. Customers can work directly with the utility and aggregators to find out if they’re eligible.

Key Takeaway

Demand response pays businesses to reduce electricity use for a few hours when the grid is under stress, in exchange for capacity payments, energy payments and protection against price spikes. Buildings with flexible operations, like adjustable HVAC or backup generators, tend to be the best fit. Beyond the revenue, participating also cuts reliance on the dirtiest peaking power plants, making it one of the few sustainability moves that pays for itself.

As colder temperatures begin to creep in, commercial real estate owners are once again faced with heating costs and system performance. Historically, gas has been the dominant player in the U.S. heating market, but as the trend towards electrification grows and pressure for sustainability mounts, commercial real estate owners are faced with a choice. 

Understanding the pros and cons of electric and gas heating isn’t just about keeping your buildings warm, it’s about cost control, reliability and the future of the market. 

For large commercial buildings, choosing the most cost efficient and reliable source of heating is crucial. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of electric vs. gas heating? 

Electric heating offers lower carbon emissions and a low cost of installation, however, it can be unreliable. Heat pumps risk being interrupted during power outages and have trouble maintaining heat in extremely low temperatures.  

Gas heating, while more expensive to install, can offer a more reliable supply of heat and lower monthly costs depending on how large the building is and how cold the winter months are. 

How Does Location Affect Whether Gas or Electric Heat Makes Sense?

Building owners must take into account what market their properties are located in. For example, in markets where electricity is generated from renewable sources or supported by clean energy standards, electric heating can reduce emissions dramatically. Gas, however, is the most cost effective choice in regions with carbon-intensive grids and high power costs. 

Brokers can offer insight into fuel mixes in specific energy markets to understand what the best products are and to help building owners make decisions. 

What Incentives Exist for Switching to Electric Heat?

Many states offer incentives for a shift to electrification in the form of rebates and tax credits. In California, they have a statewide initiative, TECH Clean California, through which building owners could receive up to $3,000 for each heat pump system. In New York, customers could see up to $10,000+ in rebates through the NYS Clean Heat Program. 

Because of these incentives, commercial real estate owners could see measurable financial rewards depending on the state. Local utilities often have their own incentive programs for customers who adopt energy-saving measures. 

With a push towards sustainability mounting, commercial real estate owners can make this switch to lower overall carbon emissions and get closer to their sustainability goals. 

How Does this Impact the Energy Industry?

As the shift to electric heating becomes more widespread, this transition has potential to impact demand profiles. The New York Independent System Operator, for example, expects that this shift could push winter demand higher than summer demand.

With the added strain on the electric grid, utilities will have to ensure there is capacity for the increased demand to mitigate any outages and accommodate large commercial buildings. 

Key Takeaway

Gas heating tends to cost less to run through cold winters, while electric heat costs less to install and produces fewer emissions. The better choice for a commercial building depends on local electricity prices, climate and available state incentives, so building owners should weigh incentive programs and grid reliability before committing to either system.

CHICAGO, November 13, 2025 - Energy CX is proud to announce that its Co-CEO Miles Rice has been named to the 2026 Chicago Titan 100 list.

The Titan 100 list recognizes Chicago’s Top 100 CEOs and C-level executives as the region’s most accomplished leaders who have not only built extraordinary companies, but have redefined what it means to lead across industries including construction, manufacturing, finance and technology. “Being named to the Titan 100 list is an incredible honor and is truly a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our co-workers and the unwavering support of our partners," says Co-CEO Miles Rice.

Rice first made his mark as Chief Operating Officer at Energy CX, where he drove a 566% surge in revenue by operationalizing growth at scale. When he stepped into the Co-CEO role in March of 2024, he brought a bold vision for digital transformation, an obsession with company culture, and a strategy that reshaped the company’s brand and customer experience.

Collectively, the 2026 Chicago Titan 100 honorees and their companies generated more than $120 billion in annual revenue and employs over 207,000 individuals across the region and beyond, with more than half exceeding $35 million in annual revenue. 

“This year’s Titans represent more than success; they embody resilience, purpose, and transformation,” said Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO. “Being a Titan is not a title; it is a mindset, a way of leading with courage, serving with integrity, and creating something that outlasts you….”

Energy CX has achieved a year of exceptional growth and recognition. Building on its mission to drive energy innovation and cost savings, Energy CX has expanded its presence and grown its workforce over 58% to reduce energy costs in over 2 billion square feet of real estate to date. Since 2022, the company has saved clients over $200 million in energy purchasing and has advanced its Analytics-based Energy Logic platform, ABEL™, to help customers purchase energy smarter.

“Miles has been a catalyst in our innovation towards helping large energy users buy like a hedge fund. I’m excited for what we will continue to build,” said Energy CX Co-CEO Scott Hammes.

For more information, please email communications@energycx.com. 

About Energy CX

Energy CX is a leading energy brokerage based in Chicago. Known for transforming the way clients navigate the complex energy landscape, the company's data-driven approach and dedication to innovation position it as a leader in the energy brokerage industry. For five generations, the Rice family has been laser-focused on its commitment to advancing energy solutions. Established in 2010, the brokerage maximizes savings, efficiency, and sustainability through technology and industry expertise. Services span energy procurement, sustainability solutions and utility services across 20+ states. Recognized as a Top U.S. Energy Brokerage, Energy CX has been named a 2025 Great Place To Work® and ranked on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row. The award-winning company has reduced energy costs for thousands of properties nationwide.

About Titan 100

The Titan 100 is a national program in 10 markets across the country that recognizes the top 100 CEOs and C-level executives in a region. Representing both the private and public sectors, these Titans of Industry demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, passion, and influence in their field. The Titan 100 are recognized at an annual awards event, published in the Titan 100 book, and given the opportunity to build relationships with their fellow Titans by connecting multiple times throughout the year. Titans must be nominated and selected annually, with the pinnacle achievement of being recognized as an elite Hall of Fame honoree in their third year. The Titan 100 is one of the fastest-growing, most powerful communities of executives across the nation. Learn more at www.titan100.biz.

Every commercial electricity bill splits into two separate charges: supply, the cost of the power itself, and delivery, the cost of getting that power to your building. These terms may sound similar, but they represent two distinct parts of how energy reaches your business. Understanding the difference between between supply and delivery charges is essential for taking control of your electricity bill, and for recognizing where you have the most opportunity to save.

What Is Energy Supply?

The supply portion of your energy bill covers the cost of the actual commodity: the electricity or natural gas your building uses. This cost is driven by the wholesale energy market and fluctuates based on a range of factors, including production levels, weather, global events and demand.

In deregulated markets, businesses are free to choose their energy supplier instead of being tied to a single utility provider. This freedom to choose creates competition among suppliers, which can result in more favorable rates and contract options. Supply charges are typically measured in units such as $/kWh for electricity or $/therm for natural gas.

In simple terms, supply is what you're buying, and it's where a business has the most control: timing purchases, choosing contract length and comparing suppliers rather than accepting the first rate offered.

What Is Energy Delivery?

The delivery portion of your bill represents the cost of transporting that energy to your facility through the local utility’s infrastructure. These charges cover the maintenance of poles, wires, pipelines and transformers that ensure reliable service to your building.

Unlike supply, delivery costs are regulated by state utility commissions and remain the same regardless of which supplier you choose. They fund critical operations such as maintaining the grid, reading meters, restoring power and investing in system upgrades. In other words, delivery is how the energy gets to you.

What's the difference between supply and delivery charges?

Understanding this distinction helps you identify where you can influence your costs. The supply portion is competitive; it’s where strategy, timing and market expertise can lead to real savings. The delivery portion is fixed, but you can still manage how it impacts you. For example, adjusting usage patterns to reduce peak demand or identifying inefficiencies in your operations can help lower certain delivery-related charges.

Recognizing this difference also empowers businesses to ask smarter questions and avoid common misconceptions. Many companies assume they have no control over their energy expenses, when in reality, supply purchasing presents significant opportunities for optimization.

Where do supply and delivery charges show up on your bill?

Most commercial electricity bills list supply and delivery as separate line items, though the labels vary by utility and state. Supply charges are usually billed per kWh or per therm and reflect what your chosen supplier is charging for the commodity itself. Delivery charges typically appear as a mix of a flat customer charge, a distribution charge tied to usage, and in many regions a separate capacity or demand charge. If your bill shows only one combined number instead of two, that's usually a sign you're on the utility's default supply rate rather than a competitively chosen one.

Key Takeaway

You can't control the wires or pipelines that deliver your energy, but you can control how and when you buy the energy flowing through them. Delivery charges are set by regulators and stay the same no matter your supplier; supply charges are competitive and respond to timing, contract choice and market conditions. Understanding delivery vs. supply charges on your electricity bill is the first step toward buying with a strategy instead of by default.

By: Jordan Quertermous and Jim Davis

Effective leadership is more than just noise; it’s navigation. It's an individualized route to a shared destination. 

Imagine handing someone your GPS after a long trip and saying, "Just follow this; it worked for me." While well-intentioned, it's a gesture that reveals two quiet, counterproductive assumptions: that your starting points are the same, and that you share the same destination. Without knowing where someone begins or where they truly want to go, offering a step-by-step guide is not just unhelpful, but it can send people on a disappointing and misguided journey. This is the trap leaders, coaches and mentors fall into when they mistake their personal success story for a universal template.

To individualize routes toward a shared destination, leaders must resist the urge to copy/paste the “script” for “success.” Instead, they should begin by acknowledging the starting place of the people they  hope to lead. Then, with humility and curiosity, they should ask, "Where are we heading, together?" 

Meet Them Where They Are

In his book Wait, What?, Jim Ryan champions the power of clarifying questions, especially the kind that slow down assumptions. Curiosity and humility create space for dialogue, discovery and empathy. In the realm of leadership and performance development, Wait, What? is another way of saying: Pause. Notice. Get on the same page. And locate the other person’s starting point.

It is impossible to chart a progression if you don’t know the coordinates. Pretending everyone is on the same path is not leadership, it’s fiction. To build an individualized route, the first step is to meet people where they are, not where you wish they were (or where you were when you started). This involves listening for their current motivations, barriers, habits, fears and ambitions. And this also means recognizing that their starting point is not a deficiency; it is a reality. Without honoring that reality, no route will be relevant, and no path can be sustainably walked.

The second essential input is the destination. Can we each agree on the coordinates of where we want to go? A starting point without a destination is nothing more than a pin on the map. Knowing where to start is important, but uncovering an agreed upon destination is what gives the journey meaning. The destination doesn’t have to be the company’s grand vision or north star. It just needs to be an agreed upon goal that actually matters to the person you’re leading. Alignment with the broader mission and the team’s goals is important, but it can’t be overbearing. The larger narrative should always be visible, because when people see how their next step contributes to something bigger, they’re more likely to stay engaged—even when the path is winding or unclear. 

But the journey should never feel oppressive. Once aligned, a reasonable route is possible. In doing so, recognize that progress isn’t always about the summit; sometimes it’s about reaching the next safe ridge. Destinations can and should evolve, and reassessing them along the journey is both wise and necessary. After reflecting and realigning, each new stop becomes another starting point, and the journey continues. Effective leadership should guide both the person and the organization toward the destination, and remind that progress of one does not have to come at the expense of the other. 

Along the way, note that shorter routes with well-defined checkpoints can reduce, overwhelm and increase clarity. They allow for celebration of progress and recalibration of direction. In practical terms, this might mean setting three-month milestones instead of three-year goals, or focusing on skill mastery before title promotion.

Only when both the starting point and an agreed upon destination are known can we truly turn discovery into direction.

Build the Route Together

Knowing where you start and where you’re headed matters, but without a clear route with checkpoints along the way you’re bound to get lost. People don’t get lost on Everest because it’s tall. They get lost because, when the going gets tough, there aren’t always signs telling them where to step next. The same applies to leadership. With support, vision and checkpoints along the way, steps that used to feel like wandering begin to feel like progress.

The route, then, is not something a leader can dictate alone; it is something co-created. When leaders understand individualized starting points and aim toward a similar destination, route-building becomes more about companionship than instruction. It also becomes inherently adaptive. Tools, timelines and tactics can shift. Destinations can and should evolve, and reassessing them along the journey is both wise and necessary. What stays consistent is the intention behind the journey.

A common leadership misstep is assuming that everyone wants to end up where you are, or that the way you got there is replicable. This mindset reduces leadership to replication rather than transformation. It also subtly undermines the agency of others by collapsing the complexity of their journey into a single, simplified narrative.

In practice, individualized route-building might require:

• Asking someone to describe what progress would look like for them, what skills and dispositions they’d like to build, not just what success they want to achieve.

• Offering suggestions instead of mandates: "Here’s one way I navigated something similar. Let’s see if it’ll work for you." This requires a scientific approach. It might help, it might not – take the hypothesis into action and gather feedback along the way.

• Recognizing that detours are not failures but part of recalibration. Adjustment is a prized skill and a distinguishing factor in sustainable high achievement.

• Helping people recognize the internal and external resources they already possess. Strength, not fear. Skill building and progress is not sustainable if it comes from a place of inadequacy and fear.

The route is ever-changing, and the definition of progress is fluid. Progress isn’t always about the summit; sometimes it’s just about reaching the next safe ridge. There will be wrong turns along the way. Like your GPS, great leaders have the ability to stay calm in the chaos and re-route directions to the next step. Each new stop, along with providing a moment for reflection and realignment, becomes another starting point.

The Leader as Navigator, Not Driver

The leader’s job isn’t to drive, it’s to navigate. This means tracking whether people are still on the path they helped build, helping them course-correct when necessary and sometimes gently pointing out when the destination itself may need reexamination. This approach fosters both accountability and autonomy. It treats people not as passengers, but as drivers who are learning to chart their own course with guidance.

Moreover, leaders who individualize development don't just optimize performance; they cultivate trust. When people feel significant and valued, they're far more willing to stretch, stumble and persist. They are more likely to raise their hand and say, "I’m lost," knowing they won’t be judged, just redirected. That trust fuels action. When a person feels trusted by their leader, they trust their leader, and they’re more willing to continue down the path.

When leaders encourage people to update their maps with accurate, affirming and dynamic inputs, they are helping recalibrate the inner compass. This is both strategic and authentically human. It allows people to move through life and work with steadiness, even amid uncertainty. And steadiness, not perfection, is what sustains high performance over time.

Moving Forward

Intentional development begins with curiosity, not control. It honors the individuality of the traveler while aiming for a shared horizon. Whether you're a coach, a teacher, a manager or a mentor, the challenge is not to replicate your route but to equip others to build theirs. We’re looking for creative, future leaders, not compliant cogs in a cold machine.

So next time you're tempted to say, "Here's what worked for me." Pause. Instead, ask, "Where are you now? Where do you want to go next? How can I help you get there?"

Outcomes matter. The destination matters. People matter. Best outcomes are defined not only by where we end up, but who we become along the way.

On Friday, September 12, 2025 the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago was filled with hundreds of guests who came together to support META24 at the fourth annual fundraiser gala. 

Through the support of Energy CX sponsors and guests, the fundraiser raised a record-setting $80,0000 for META24, a nonprofit reimagining education through entrepreneurship by providing at-risk students in Chicago with the tools, resources and real-world experiences to build their futures. 

META24 converts school and community spaces into makers spaces where students learn and develop vocational skills that they use to launch their own businesses. 103 META24 labs have been opened across the Midwest and southern United States along with six MZUZI stores where students sell their products.

Flavian Prince Ed.D., CEO of META24, expressed, “This year's annual Energy CX and META24 community party set a new precedent for uplifting the hearts, minds and souls of our youth, families, neighbors and friends. One mother told me through tears of joy, that her child is ‘invisible to the world’ but the joy that this evening brought to her gave her renewed hope.”

Our ongoing partnership with META24 is just one way Energy CX supports its core values of continuous growth and education, along with aiming to do good for our community. 

“The work that Flavian is doing for META24 is incredible. It’s amazing to see students walk in the door of META24 and walk out as business owners and craftsmen,” remarks Miles Rice, Co-CEO of Energy CX. “This program really helps kids rise above their circumstances and become better versions of themselves.”

At the gala, several META24 students showcased and sold their handmade creations including scented candles, 3D-printed designs and screen-printed hoodies which brought in nearly $2,000 in sales that goes directly into students’ pockets.

One student spoke on stage about his struggles in school stating he would regularly get into fights and wasn’t doing well in classes. Since joining META24, he has launched his own clothing line and is engaged in the classroom learning about how to become an entrepreneur and business owner.

For those interested in joining us in supporting META24’s vision or in exploring sponsorship opportunities, please email office.admin@energycx.com. Every contribution makes a difference as we work to create lasting change and brighter futures.

Our sincerest thanks also goes to our sponsors, who made this all possible:

• Engie

• Gas South

• NextEra Energy

• Realty Ads

• Res Publica Group

• Smartest Energy

• Tully & Associates

• Vistra (Merged with Dynergy)

For the second consecutive year, Energy CX ranks among America’s fastest-growing private companies, underscoring its relentless drive for innovation, client impact and nationwide expansion.

CHICAGO, August 12, 2025 – Energy CX has been named on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Energy CX earned the No. 2,334 spot on the list, marking the company’s second year in a row earning a place on the list. 

The Inc. 5000 list, published annually by the leading media brand and playbook for business leaders, provides a data-driven snapshot of the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. Past honorees include companies such as Microsoft, Meta and Oracle.

“We’re honored to be on this list—but recognition isn’t the goal. It’s fuel,” says Co-CEO Miles Rice. “From an idea on paper to being called an industry disruptor, this is proof of what relentless focus, high standards and a world-class team can do. This is not a finish line, it’s a launchpad—to keep inventing, to keep raising the bar and to set the standard for innovation for our industry and for customers everywhere.”

Companies are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over a three-year period.  All the companies combined on this year’s list generated $300 billion in revenue in 2024.

“Making the Inc. 5000 is always a remarkable achievement, but earning a spot this year speaks volumes about a company’s tenacity and clarity of vision,” says Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. “These businesses have thrived amid rising costs, shifting global dynamics, and constant change. They didn’t just weather the storm—they grew through it, and their stories are a powerful reminder that the entrepreneurial spirit is the engine of the U.S. economy.”

Energy CX has achieved a year of exceptional growth and recognition. Building on its mission to drive energy innovation and cost savings, in 2025 alone, Energy CX expanded its presence and grew its workforce over 49% to reduce energy costs in over 2 billion square feet of real estate. Since 2022, the company has saved clients over $200 million in energy purchasing and has advanced its Analytics-based Energy Logic platform, ABEL™, to help customers purchase energy smarter.

About Inc.

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

The Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, is likely to push electricity prices lower in the short term and higher over the long run. The effect will be most direct if you live in a deregulated state like Texas, Illinois, Ohio or Pennsylvania, where businesses choose their own energy supplier instead of being locked to the local utility.

How will the Big Beautiful Bill affect electricity prices in the short term?

The law rolls back support for clean energy, including tax credits for wind, solar, electric vehicles and other renewables. At the same time, it expands fossil fuel production by opening up more land for coal and gas development and reducing royalty costs for producers. Supporters claim the bill will lower costs and strengthen domestic energy security. 

In the short term, the increased focus on fossil fuels may lead to slightly lower electricity prices. Coal and natural gas are relatively cheap to operate today, especially now that clean energy incentives are being withdrawn. For some customers, particularly those on fixed-rate plans, where the price is locked in for the length of the contract, this could translate into temporary cost savings.

But those savings come with risks. Fossil fuels, especially natural gas, are extremely volatile. Global markets, extreme weather and supply disruptions can trigger dramatic price swings. During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, for example, natural gas prices surged 3,000% and caused massive bill spikes across Texas. By shifting more of our energy mix toward fossil fuels, the bill exposes customers to more of that same volatility.

What are the long-term effects on electricity prices?

There are also long-term cost concerns. Without tax credits and policy support, many renewable energy projects will slow down or get canceled entirely. That means fewer new sources of cheap power in the coming years. As the supply of renewables shrinks, overall energy prices are likely to rise—especially in deregulated markets that depend on competition and a healthy energy mix to keep rates in check.

Grid costs are another hidden consequence. If renewable growth slows, the grid will rely more heavily on older fossil fuel infrastructure. That could lead to congestion, reliability issues and increased costs for services like reserves and frequency regulation. These costs don’t always show up as line items on your bill, but they’re passed through to customers just the same.

The bill also introduces more risk and uncertainty for energy suppliers. With future policy direction unclear and fuel costs less predictable, many suppliers will hedge their risk by raising retail rates. Smaller providers may exit the market altogether, reducing competition and limiting consumer choice.

Key Takeaway

The Big Beautiful Bill will likely lower electricity prices modestly in the short term, but push them higher and more volatile over time, especially in deregulated states. Retail customers could see fewer supplier options, more hidden fees, and bigger swings in energy costs as the market shifts back toward fossil fuels. If you're in a deregulated state, this is a good time to revisit your energy plan.

In a recent Forbes article, Nathan Rice highlighted the often overlooked operational blind spots that silently chip away at business profits. These include software sprawl, where redundant or underutilized SaaS tools accumulate costs. Passive energy procurement strategies that ignore market volatility can also produce a lofty cost. Outdated logistics contracts that fail to reflect current market conditions and vendor relationships that go unreviewed, leading to missed opportunities contribute to high costs as well. Such inefficiencies persist because they don't trigger immediate alarms but, over time, can result in substantial financial losses.

Rice emphasizes that addressing these issues requires a proactive approach by regularly auditing expenses, questioning long-standing practices and fostering a culture that encourages operational curiosity. By doing so, businesses can identify and resolve these silent profit drains, leading to improved efficiency and competitiveness.

You can read the full article here

The energy industry is undergoing a technological shift, with innovations like smart grids, energy storage systems and advanced solar cells driving efficiency and sustainability.  These advancements are changing how we produce, distribute, and consume power.

Get to know some of these cutting-edge technologies that are transforming the industry.

1. AI-Driven Smart Grids

Welcome to the future of grid management. The smart grid is an advanced network that combines digital communication technology and real-time data to manage the distribution of electricity more efficiently. The switch to AI-driven smart grids allows information to be exchanged in both directions allowing faster response times. 

AI helps the grid predict problems before they happen, for example, smart meters can detect outages ahead of time and sensors can locate parts of the grid that need attention and reroute energy accordingly. AI tools can also help reduce the risk of cyberattacks on smart grids by detecting malware and intrusion.

 2. Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries are ushering in the next generation of energy storage. Just like its name, solid-state batteries contain a solid electrolyte that generates an electrical current unlike lithium-ion batteries where the electrolyte is made out of lithium or gel. 

This battery type boasts faster charging times, a longer lifespan and enhanced safety since it’s less flammable than lithium-ion batteries. Solid-state batteries also have a larger capacity for storing energy in a smaller space. These batteries are typically used in electric vehicles and electric grid storage for renewable energy sources.

Though production remains costly, ongoing research is paving the way for scalable solutions.

3. Green Hydrogen Production

Green hydrogen is redefining what clean fuel can look like. Produced through water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, green hydrogen offers a 100% emissions-free alternative to traditional hydrogen derived from fossil fuels.

Green hydrogen is gaining global momentum and can lead to  achieving carbon neutrality and combatting climate change. It is a 100% renewable energy source, produces zero waste besides water and can be stored for future use. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), by 2030, green hydrogen could compete on costs with fossil fuel alternatives.

4. Perovskite Solar Cells

Solar just got smarter. Perovskite solar cells (PSC) convert sunlight into electricity using light-absorbing materials. Since their debut in 2009, PSCs have surged from 4% to 26% efficiency, according to NREL's solar cell efficiency tables, and are on track to surpass conventional silicon-based solar panels.

PSCs have high efficiency to convert light to electric power quickly and have low production costs. These cells also absorb a wide range of the solar spectrum, enhancing their performance in low-light environments. As advancements continue, PSCs have the potential to play a significant role in the global transition to renewable energy.

 5. Carbon Capture and Utilization

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is an emerging climate technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from sources like coal-fired power plants and reuses or stores it so it won’t enter the atmosphere. 

The captured CO₂ can be used in chemical alterations like carbonated beverages or enhanced oil recovery. It can also be chemically transformed into fuels, chemicals or construction materials. The process of CCU can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and can create new products from CO₂ that can stimulate the economy.

Key Takeaway 

Through the use of data and technological advancements, the future of the energy industry is well-equipped to create a more efficient, resilient and sustainable energy system.

Energy Saving Tips for Businesses: Equipment & Systems

These energy saving tips for businesses range from no-cost habit changes to equipment upgrades that pay for themselves within a few years. None require a large upfront investment, and most can be put in place without changing how your business operates day to day.

1. Upgrade to LED Lighting: LED bulbs use significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last much longer. By switching to LED lighting throughout your facility, you can reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs.

2. Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances: When purchasing new equipment or appliances for your business, opt for energy-efficient models. Look for products with the ENERGY STAR label, which indicates they meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

3. Implement Smart Thermostat Controls: Installing programmable or smart thermostats allows you to better control heating and cooling settings based on occupancy and usage patterns. This can lead to significant energy savings without sacrificing comfort.

4. Seal Air Leaks: Proper insulation and sealing of doors, windows, and ductwork can prevent air leaks and minimize energy waste. Conduct regular inspections to identify and address any areas where air may be escaping.

5. Unplug Idle Electronics: Many electronic devices consume energy even when they're not in use. Encourage employees to unplug chargers, computers, printers, and other equipment when not in use to eliminate "phantom" energy consumption.

Energy Saving Tips for Businesses: Habits and Ongoing Management

6. Maximize Natural Light: Take advantage of natural daylight whenever possible by positioning workstations and offices near windows. Use light-colored walls and reflective surfaces to enhance natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day.

7. Implement Power Management Policies: Establish guidelines for powering down equipment and machinery during non-operating hours. This can include shutting down computers, printers, and other electronics at the end of the workday to conserve energy.

8. Conduct Regular Maintenance: Proper maintenance of HVAC systems, boilers, and other equipment ensures optimal performance and energy efficiency. Schedule routine inspections and tune-ups to identify and address any issues promptly.

9. Encourage Employee Engagement: Educate employees about the importance of energy conservation and encourage them to adopt energy-saving practices in the workplace. Simple actions like turning off lights when leaving a room or using energy-efficient settings on office equipment can make a big difference.

10. Benchmark Your Energy Use Over Time: Track utility bills against square footage, production volume, or occupancy so inefficiencies show up early. A rate that looks stable can still mask rising consumption, and benchmarking is the only way to catch that before it shows up as a bigger bill.

Key Takeaway

Most energy saving tips for businesses fall into two groups: no-cost habit changes like unplugging idle electronics and using natural light, and equipment upgrades like LED lighting and smart thermostats that pay for themselves over a few years. Tracking usage over time is what turns these individual tips into a real reduction in your energy bill.

Commercial energy procurement is the process a business uses to source and buy the electricity and natural gas it needs, instead of just accepting whatever rate the local utility offers. Done deliberately, it turns what most companies treat as a fixed cost into an expense they can actually manage and time strategically.

What Are the Key Components of an Energy Procurement Strategy?

• Energy Market Analysis: Understanding the dynamics of energy markets is essential for effective procurement. Factors like deregulation, supply and demand fluctuations, geopolitical events, and regulatory policies can all impact energy prices and availability.

• Supplier Selection: Choosing the right energy supplier involves evaluating factors such as pricing structures, contract terms, reliability, customer service, and sustainability commitments. Businesses often engage in competitive bidding processes or negotiate directly with suppliers to secure favorable terms.

• Contract Negotiation: Energy procurement contracts outline the terms of the agreement between the buyer and the supplier, including pricing mechanisms, delivery terms, payment terms, and performance metrics. Negotiating these contracts requires careful consideration of risk management strategies, such as fixed-rate vs. variable-rate pricing, and flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions.

• Risk Management: Managing risks associated with energy procurement is paramount to safeguarding against price volatility, supply disruptions, regulatory changes, and other unforeseen events. Strategies such as hedging, diversification, and forward contracting can help mitigate risks and stabilize energy costs over time.

• Sustainability Goals: Incorporating sustainability goals into energy procurement strategies is increasingly important for businesses seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and align with environmental objectives. This may involve sourcing renewable energy, investing in energy efficiency measures, or participating in carbon offset programs.

What Are the Benefits of Effective Energy Procurement?

• Cost Savings: Optimizing energy procurement strategies can result in significant cost savings through competitive pricing, efficient consumption management, and risk mitigation.

• Reliability: Secure and reliable energy supply is essential for maintaining business operations and minimizing disruptions.

• Sustainability: By prioritizing renewable energy sourcing and efficiency initiatives, businesses can reduce their environmental impact and enhance their corporate social responsibility efforts.

• Strategic Advantage: Proactive energy procurement strategies can provide businesses with a competitive edge in the market, enabling them to adapt to changing energy landscapes and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Key Takeaways

Commercial energy procurement is the deliberate sourcing and buying of electricity and natural gas, built around market analysis, supplier selection, contract terms, risk management, and sustainability goals. Businesses that treat it as a strategy rather than a default utility bill get more predictable costs and fewer surprises at renewal.

In the intricate realm of energy procurement, where every decision impacts the bottom line, navigating pricing strategies is paramount. One approach that stands out for its adaptability and transparency is index pricing. We'll delve into what index pricing entails, how it's calculated, and most importantly, how businesses can leverage it to save on energy costs.

What is Index Pricing?

Index pricing is a method of determining the cost of energy based on a specific market index. Index outperforms fixed prices when insurance is not needed as our VP of Sales, Nathan Rice, says “don’t buy flood insurance for a house on the hill." Instead of a fixed rate, the price fluctuates in real-time, closely mirroring wholesale energy market conditions.  

How is Index Pricing Calculated?

• Market Index Selection: The first step is selecting a market index that aligns with the specific energy market relevant to the consumer. This index serves as a reference point for pricing fluctuations. Common indices include the NYMEX natural gas index and regional electricity indices.

• Pricing Formula: The pricing formula typically involves adding a margin (the supplier's profit) to the current market index value. The resulting sum represents the consumer's energy price for a specific period.

• Real-Time Adjustments: Unlike fixed-rate contracts, index pricing allows for real-time adjustments based on market changes. This responsiveness ensures that consumers benefit from market lows while maintaining protection during spikes. 2023 has been an interesting year for index pricing with market lows. Our Head of Marketing Intelligence, Eddie Conlisk, further explains "given the low spot prices of natural gas due to excess supply and weak demand both gas and electric indexes performed extremely well most all of 2023."

  

What are the Benefits of Index Pricing?

• Cost Reflectivity: Index pricing provides unparalleled transparency, allowing consumers to see a direct correlation between their energy costs and market movements. This transparency aids in budget planning and decision-making.

• Flexibility: The flexibility inherent in index pricing enables consumers to capitalize on market downturns. This adaptability is particularly advantageous in volatile energy markets. Our VP of Sales, Nathan Rice, explains "the index price is the market rate with no premiums attached to it. When markets remain calm, index prices outperform fixed rates, as we’ve seen in the last 4/5 years.”

What Are the Drawbacks of Index Pricing?

• Price Volatility: While index pricing can lead to savings during market downturns, it exposes consumers to potential volatility. Sudden market spikes may result in higher costs compared to fixed-rate contracts.

• Budget Uncertainty: For businesses with stringent budget requirements, the fluctuating nature of index pricing may pose challenges in predicting and managing energy expenses.

How Energy CX Implements Index Pricing

• Market Intelligence: Our team of experts at Energy CX constantly monitors market trends, leveraging cutting-edge technology to provide real-time insights. This allows us to make informed decisions in the best interest of our clients.

• Strategic Planning: We work collaboratively with clients to develop a strategic energy purchasing plan. This includes identifying optimal entry points into the market, setting budget expectations, and defining risk management parameters.

• Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment: The energy market is dynamic, and so are our strategies. We continually monitor market movements and adjust our approach to ensure that our clients are positioned advantageously.

Key Takeaway

Index pricing, or market-based energy pricing, ties a business's energy cost to real-time market rates instead of one fixed price for the whole contract. It can lower costs when markets are calm, since there's no premium built in for certainty, but it also exposes a business to real budget swings when prices spike. The right choice comes down to how much price variability a business can actually absorb.

A sustainability strategy for a business covers four core areas: measuring your current environmental impact, setting clear goals, engaging employees and your supply chain, and choosing the right mix of efficiency upgrades and renewable energy investments.

1. Assess Your Current Impact: Conduct a thorough assessment of your environmental footprint, considering energy usage, waste generation, and overall resource consumption.

2. Set Clear Sustainability Goals: Define measurable goals for energy efficiency, waste reduction, and emissions reduction. Ensure these align with industry standards and your business values.

3. Employee Engagement: Foster a culture of sustainability by educating and involving employees. Encourage their participation in eco-friendly initiatives.

4. Supply Chain Transparency: Evaluate and enhance sustainability practices within your supply chain. Prioritize partnerships with suppliers committed to eco-friendly practices.

5. Energy Efficiency Measures: Implement energy-saving measures, such as upgrading to energy-efficient lighting systems and appliances. Consider expert guidance on optimizing lighting solutions.

6. Renewable Energy Integration: Invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to power your operations sustainably. 

7. EV Charging Stations: Install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to support the transition to cleaner transportation. 

8. Waste Reduction and Recycling: Develop waste reduction strategies and robust recycling programs. Explore options for composting and repurposing materials to minimize waste.

9. Sustainable Product Development: Explore sustainable materials and practices in product development. Highlight eco-friendly aspects in your product messaging.

10. Stakeholder Communication: Maintain transparent communication with stakeholders about your sustainability journey. Highlight achievements in specific areas like lighting, EV charging, solar integration, and more.

11. Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation: Implement systems for continuous monitoring of your sustainability efforts. Adapt your strategy based on environmental trends and innovations in lighting, EV technology, and solar solutions.

12. Consider RECs and PPAs for Direct Renewable Procurement: If you want to go beyond efficiency and source renewable power directly, Renewable Energy Certificates and Power Purchase Agreements are the two main mechanisms businesses use. 

Key Takeaway

A sustainability strategy works best as a sequence: measure your footprint first, set goals against that baseline, then layer in efficiency upgrades before committing to renewable procurement like RECs or PPAs. Skipping the measurement step is the most common reason sustainability initiatives stall.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are the two main ways businesses buy renewable energy without owning their own generation. RECs let you claim renewable attributes separately from your electricity supply; PPAs lock in a long-term contract directly with a renewable energy project.

Understanding RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates):

1. Definition: RECs represent the environmental attributes of renewable energy generation. When a renewable energy facility generates one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity, it produces one REC.

2. How It Works: Businesses can purchase RECs to offset their own carbon emissions. By doing so, they support the production of renewable energy elsewhere, contributing to a cleaner energy grid.

3. Environmental Impact: RECs offer a credible way to claim and demonstrate your commitment to renewable energy without physically sourcing energy directly from a renewable facility.

Understanding PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements):

1. Definition: PPAs are long-term contracts between a business and a renewable energy project developer. The business agrees to purchase the electricity generated by the project at a predetermined rate.

2. How It Works: Businesses sign a PPA to secure a stable, often lower, electricity rate over an extended period. This benefits both parties, providing financial stability for the project developer and cost predictability for the business.

3. Environmental and Financial Benefits: PPAs enable businesses to support and benefit from renewable energy projects. The long-term commitment fosters the growth of renewable energy infrastructure while offering potential cost savings.

How RECs and PPAs Can Benefit Your Business:

1. Carbon Neutrality: Offset your carbon emissions with RECs, achieving carbon neutrality and showcasing your commitment to sustainability.

2. Cost Predictability: PPAs provide cost predictability, shielding your business from volatile energy markets and potentially reducing long-term energy costs.

3. Renewable Energy Adoption: Both RECs and PPAs contribute directly to the growth and adoption of renewable energy sources, promoting a greener and more sustainable energy landscape.

4. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Showcase your CSR initiatives by actively supporting and investing in renewable energy projects, aligning your brand with environmental stewardship.

5. Compliance with Renewable Energy Goals: Meet and exceed renewable energy goals, whether imposed by regulations, internal targets, or customer demands.

Key Takeaway

RECs and PPAs solve different problems: RECs are the simpler, more flexible way to claim renewable attributes on your existing supply, while PPAs require a long-term commitment but can lock in pricing directly with a project. The right entry point often depends on where a business is in its broader sustainability planning.

Energy deregulation is a market structure in which multiple suppliers compete to sell electricity or natural gas, allowing consumers and businesses to choose their supplier rather than buying from a single regulated utility. The local utility still delivers the energy and maintains the grid, while suppliers are able to compete for the supply portion.

How Does Energy Deregulation Work?

A deregulated market splits your energy service into two parts. Supply, or the actual electricity or gas you use, becomes competitive, so multiple suppliers bid for your business. Delivery (the poles, wires, pipes, and meter) stays with your local utility, which remains regulated and still handles outages and billing infrastructure.

That's why switching suppliers doesn't change your reliability or who fixes a downed line. You're only changing who you buy the energy commodity from, not who delivers it.

Which States Have Energy Deregulation?

Deregulation varies by state and by energy type. Some states allow it for electricity, some for natural gas, and some for both.

Natural Gas Only

• California

• Colorado

• Wisconsin

• Missouri

• Indiana

• Michigan

• Georgia

• Florida

• Virginia

Electric Only

• Texas

• Maine

• New Hampshire

• Delaware

Both

• Illinois

• New York

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• New Jersey

• Connecticut

• Rhode Island

• Massachusetts

• Maryland

What Are the Benefits of Energy Deregulation?

Competitive Pricing 

• Deregulation encourages competition among energy providers, fostering competitive pricing and potentially reducing overall costs for consumers.

Consumer Choice 

• Consumers can choose from a variety of energy plans, services, and providers, tailoring their choices to meet specific needs and preferences.

Innovation and Green Options

• Competition often sparks innovation and a greater focus on sustainability, including eco-friendly supplier options that support a greener future.

Key Takeaway

Energy deregulation lets businesses choose who supplies their electricity or natural gas, while the local utility keeps handling delivery and outages. Whether it's available, and for which fuel type, depends on the state. Commercial and industrial buyers have the most to gain, since they're the customer class most likely to actually shop the competitive market.

“If we’re to keep Earth livable in the future, the clothing industry must change.”

Bold words. Bolder when you consider they come from a popular clothing retailer. But outdoor-gear behemoth Patagonia is proudly wearing its green on its sleeves – and putting its money where its mouth is. In late 2019, Patagonia — pointing out that the clothing industry is responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions — announced it will work toward becoming carbon neutral by 2025.

 An aggressive embrace of renewable energy. A main tenant of its strategy is renewable energy. It immediately pledged all energy used in its stores, offices, and distribution center would be renewable by the end of 2020; it has invested in extensive solar production at its headquarters and distribution center. Patagonia supports external projects, earning Renewable Energy Certificates that offset its non-renewable energy consumption. It also supports suppliers investing in renewables at their own facilities.

Addressing supply chain key to meeting target. The company says 95% of its carbon emissions come from that chain, which encompasses everything from textile-related crop production to product delivery to consumer doorsteps. Textiles are a huge factor, and Patagonia has committed to using recycled and renewable materials, using low-emission dying techniques, and researching new, sustainable materials. But addressing textiles isn’t enough: the company will be working with its suppliers – a daunting task – in an effort to help them develop sustainable practices. The company will also counter carbon emissions through regenerative agriculture and reforestation projects.

Patagonia’s environmental activism is part-and-parcel of the brand; publicly announcing and pursuing this aggressive goal takes that a step further. What can we take from Patagonia’s example? That sustainability can be a vital part of a company’s identity. That companies can pursue ambitious goals – and persevere if they are truly committed to real change. That success and sustainability do not have to be mutually exclusive.