Research & Publications

Sample of PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

California Investor-Owned Utilities (2010-present): Part of independent evaluation (IE) team that oversees and monitors competitive solicitations for procurement of new power supplies by California’s regulated, investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric), done over many years in multiple engagements. Our team monitors all negotiations and evaluates and ranks commercial bids from both qualitative assessment and quantitative modeling. The State of California has one of the most progressive and complex set of regulatory protocols in the country, requiring utilities to assess the impacts of their procurement decisions from numerous economic, social, and environmental considerations, which the team independently evaluates.
Chevron-Texaco – Fuel Cell Division: Managed large study of global fuel-cell (combined heat and power) markets, with in-country research conducted across Asia, Europe and North America. The team studied energy costs, facility climate-control and air-quality needs, facility management trends, local resource constraints, and contingency plans across numerous sectors (industrial, healthcare, lodging, commercial, education, etc.) and assessed the market drivers for and barriers to stationary, low-emission, fuel-cell technologies. Mr. Eisenberg conducted primary research in China, Japan and India for this client and was one of the chief architects of the research and final report.
The Trane Corporation: Managed three major global research efforts (Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America) to study regional economic growth patterns, industry growth, new trends in facility management, energy/water and indoor air-quality issues, and emerging markets for building-control systems. This research focused on the specific needs and challenges of market actors in multiple sectors (office buildings, healthcare, manufacturing, lodging, pharmaceutical, education, etc.). Mr. Eisenberg conducted in-country research in Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Texaco-Ovonic Hydrogen Systems: Analyzed Asian markets for fuel cells, hydrogen storage, batteries, and related storage technologies; estimated the market size for storage technologies across several countries and identified the policy drivers and commercial realities that shaped those markets.
Matsushita (Panasonic): Studied U.S. market trends for networked distributed generation (on-site power generation that is integrated and operated remotely through communications and control systems), prepared for Matsushita’s Electrical Industrial Division.
Mitsubishi Corporation: Provided lengthy analysis of policy and market trends in the U.S. photovoltaics (PV) sector, with special emphasis on purchased power agreements (PPAs), financing options, public versus private customers, and strengths/weaknesses and positioning of the top 30 firms in the U.S. PV retail sector.
California Public Utilities Commission: Conducted lengthy analysis of the success and failure factors of the State of California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program and the California Solar Initiative, two innovative programs through which California utilities promote and provide financial incentives for customer-owned (on-site) generation. It is the largest state-mandated renewable energy program in the U.S. Mr. Eisenberg focused on private vs. public ownership issues, tax benefits, barriers to the adoption of cogeneration (combined heat and power), and solar energy (photovoltaics) adoption rates. This study involved in-depth interviews with numerous industry leaders and quantitative analysis of data.
Western Resource Advocates (a public interest law firm previously called The Land & Water Fund of the Rockies.) Conducted technical research about electricity and environmental issues to be used in testimony for litigating in a six-state region of the American west for broad regulatory change of the electric utility industry. The legal team intervened in cases before public utility commissions to argue for the adoption of integrated resource planning rules that require utilities to acknowledge and consider the environmental externalities and human health impacts of energy production. Mr. Eisenberg was also one of the chief researchers and writers of a major study (“How the West Can Win”) about how energy production in the American west can be shaped and changed over a 40-year period that would save rate-payer money, reduce air pollution, decommission nuclear power, increase the adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and take pressure off land and water resources.
Natural Capitalism Solutions, Inc.: Helped research and write lengthy treatment of climate change issues as they impact local municipalities. A Manual on Climate Protection for Cities, co-authored with Hunter Lovins, Mr. Eisenberg’s chapters focused on what city governments can do to prevent climate change and steps cities can take to respond and adapt to various forms of climate disruption.
City of Boulder, Colorado – Energy Benchmarking Study: Contributor to a major study in which the City of Boulder was compared and benchmarked against 12 other similar cities across the U.S. in terms of electricity supply curves, energy costs, carbon and other air-borne emissions, transportation volumes, building stock, fuel mix, clean-energy programs, and other related data to characterize the city’s overall energy profile and ecological footprint. This was done as part of the Cirty's research regarding municipalization of the utility.
City of Boulder and City of Denver, Colorado: Evaluated the full range of technical options for repowering an existing coal-fired power plant in urban Colorado with other thermal and renewable technologies. The team evaluated, ranked, and advised on 24 configurations of electricity generation (e.g., gas-turbines, wind-energy, biomass energy, solar thermal, photovoltaics, and innovative hybrid-plant designs such as coal combined with biomass, coal combined with solar thermal, gas combined with biomass, and gas combined with solar thermal, etc.) in terms of their total costs, annual emissions, water use, land use, site issues, technical considerations, and commercialization issues.
Arkansas Public Utilities Commission (2012-present): Statewide Independent Evaluation Monitor (IEM) establishing and implementing guidelines for assessing the progress, failures, costs, and benefits of the energy efficiency programs provided by gas and electric utilities in Arkansas.
Colorado Governor’s Energy Office: Estimated size of energy efficiency potential in commercial buildings in the state of Colorado; characterized building stock, utility efficiency goals, and ESCO markets; provided recommendations to the GEO on best opportunities for energy efficiency.
NYSERDA: Defined best practices and developed NY Statewide Protocols for Process Evaluation of electric utility energy efficiency programs. For New York State (NYSERDA).
City of Springfield Utilities: Completed extensive benchmarking analysis against 12 other municipal utilities across a broad range of metrics, including energy rates, customer base, load growth, energy efficiency programs (costs, achievements, percentage of revenue, percentage of sales, etc.).
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities: As part of an Evaluation Team, analyzed success/failure factors in New Jersey’s Customer-Owned Renewable Energy (CORE) program, the program through which New Jersey utilities promote and provide incentives for customer-owned renewable generation. It was the second largest state-mandated renewable energy program in the U.S., after California.
Energy efficiency program evaluation - multiple utilities: Worked on independent evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) teams that provide independent program evaluation of utility-operated, energy efficiency programs that are designed to transform customer markets. Clients include Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, BC Hydro, NYSERDA, PacifiCorp, Xcel Energy, Toronto Hydro, Bonneville Power Administration, Utah Power & Light, Commonwealth Edison, etc.
Applied Market Knowledge: Conducted study of commercial building trends and economic forecasts in select Asian markets; focused on food production, food delivery and cold storage in Korea, China, India, and Japan.
Spirae, Inc.: Analyzed the electric utility sector’s programs and activities regarding smart grid (grid modernization, peak load shaving, integration of distributed and renewable generation, etc.) for private engineering firm. Studied how distributed generation can be used to firm intermittent resources and reduce peak load on substations or in transmission-constrained areas; evaluated utility programs and investments in smart grid technologies and solutions.
San Diego Gas & Electric: Part of Independent Evaluation team evaluating bids and monitoring negotiations for SDG&E’s first solicitation for greenhouse gas offset credits.