U.S. should look to old Europe for new energy ideas By Chris Madison

Western European countries are constantly reinventing systems and markets to use more renewable energy more efficiently. We could learn something.

The latest example: Three European energy exchanges have signed a cooperative agreement aimed at creating a single European electricity market. As described in an article posted on Dow Jones news service, APX Group unit APX-Endex, together with Belpex and Nord Pool Spot will develop and implement cross-border electricity trading, using techniques and technology used by the Nordic countries to trade power.

This is a model the United States needs to consider. Integrating wind energy into the grid becomes more feasible the more we unify the balkanized U.S. electricity markets. Electricity could be traded from markets that have a surplus in any given period to those where the wind power has died down. Right now those gaps are filled by other generating sources, but a more unified electricity market would give grid operators added flexibility.

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