Our Blog

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

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

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Read Most Recent Blog Posts

Matt Chester 1/17/25 Matt Chester 1/17/25

Rebuilding After Catastrophic Wildfires: Lessons from Around the Globe

As the Los Angeles region faced yet another devastating wildfire event in early 2025, the scale of destruction is both a call to action and an opportunity for innovation. After accounting for the immediate needs of ensuring the fires are stopped, people are protected, and any irreplaceable loss of life is minimized, the road to recovery has really just begun. Rebuilding after such catastrophic events requires careful planning, robust resilience strategies, and lessons from cities and countries that have faced similar challenges.

Matt Chester 1/15/25 Matt Chester 1/15/25

USEA Virtual Press Briefing: Rough Road Ahead for Electric Utilities in 2025

While electric utilities and consumers will be cruising comfortably in the middle and distant future with new transmission, new generation, AI management, DER and new technologies, particularly nuclear, in the form of small modular reactors and maturing fusion, their immediate future is a road filled with potholes.

Matt Chester 12/31/24 Matt Chester 12/31/24

Power Perspectives: The Biggest Stories and the Boldest Bets: 2024 Year in Review

Will new transmission infrastructure ever come to pass? When will we reach a tipping point with data center energy needs? How can we determine the future of hydrogen's transformative race toward dominance? And what will really be the impact of decreasing energy storage costs?

Today on Energy Central's special year-end episode, we look back at a major 2024...and forward, toward what's looking to be a big 2025. Using ideas and predictions from our community's Energy Central Top Voices (check out the full list here), the Power Perspectives team is telling you about the most impactful stories of the year.

Matt Chester 12/16/24 Matt Chester 12/16/24

From Itron Inspire to Action: Dr. Webber’s Vision for Smarter Utilities - [an Energy Central Power Perspectives Interview]

This past October at Itron Inspire, thought leaders from across the utility industry gathered to share insights and strategies for navigating today’s rapidly evolving energy and water landscapes. Among the event’s highlights was an Executive Roundtable moderated by Dr. Michael E. Webber, Professor at The University of Texas at Austin where he is the Sid Richardson Chair in Public Affairs and John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in Engineering.

Matt Chester 12/11/24 Matt Chester 12/11/24

Technological Beyond the Sun : How Analytics is Revolutionizing Solar Operations?

Our recent roundtable discussion, '𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬,' explored these pressing challenges and the role of advanced analytics, AI , and integrated communication platforms in achieving a balanced production-consumption system.

Matt Chester 12/11/24 Matt Chester 12/11/24

USEA Virtual Press Briefing: DER and Virtual Power Plants: The Easiest Supply Boost

“All of a sudden, distributed energy resources and virtual power plants have come of age, after being a pipe dream of environmentalists,” says journalist Llewellyn King, who has organized and will moderate the briefing.