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- All HBS Web (307)
- Faculty Publications (111)
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- January 2024 (Revised January 2025)
- Case
Colbún and Chile’s Energy Transition
By: Forest Reinhardt, Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago and Mariana Cal
In May 2023, Colbún, Chile’s second-largest electricity generator, plans capacity expansions using renewable energy and storage. This strategy supports Chile’s commitment to carbon neutrality (also known as net zero emissions) by 2050. The case delves into the... View Details
Keywords: Transition; Energy Generation; Renewable Energy; Climate Change; Investment; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Infrastructure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Expansion; Business Strategy; Energy Industry; Utilities Industry; Latin America; South America; Chile
Reinhardt, Forest, Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago, and Mariana Cal. "Colbún and Chile's Energy Transition." Harvard Business School Case 724-026, January 2024. (Revised January 2025.)
- December 2023
- Article
When Should the Off-Grid Sun Shine at Night? Optimum Renewable Generation and Energy Storage Investments
By: Christian Kaps, Simone Marinesi and Serguei Netessine
Globally, 1.5 billion people live off the grid, their only access to electricity often limited to operationally-expensive fossil fuel generators. Solar power has risen as a sustainable and less costly option, but its generation is variable during the day and... View Details
Kaps, Christian, Simone Marinesi, and Serguei Netessine. "When Should the Off-Grid Sun Shine at Night? Optimum Renewable Generation and Energy Storage Investments." Management Science 69, no. 12 (December 2023): 7633–7650.
- January 2019 (Revised December 2019)
- Case
CrossBoundary Energy
By: John Macomber
Almost 500 million people are without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments and public utilities are challenged to bring generation and distribution to most of them. Considerable promise exists in “off-grid” or “mini-grid” technologies, notably using renewable... View Details
Keywords: Energy Investing; Economic Development; Renewable Energy; Business Growth and Maturation; Developing Countries and Economies; Project Finance; Emerging Markets; Industry Structures; Infrastructure; Segmentation; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Africa; Tanzania; Ghana
Macomber, John. "CrossBoundary Energy." Harvard Business School Case 219-089, January 2019. (Revised December 2019.)
- February 2013 (Revised December 2015)
- Case
Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency
By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira R. Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice
Groom Energy Solutions helps organizations reduce their energy use and costs through the implementation of energy efficiency measures, which create long-term financial and environmental benefits. With early success serving customers in the cold storage and industrial... View Details
Keywords: Groom Energy Solutions; Jon Guerster; Salem, MA; Energy Management; Energy Efficiency Paradox; Sustainability Management; Manufacturing; Cold Storage; Commercial Real Estate; Enterprise Smart Grid; Carbon Accounting; LED Lighting; Sustainability Research; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Entrepreneurship; Energy Entrepreneurship; Energy Services; Electricity; Startup; Expansion; Growth; Sustainability; Business Startups; Forecasting and Prediction; Energy Conservation; Revenue; Geographic Location; Human Resources; Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Operations; Service Delivery; Strategic Planning; Science; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Society; Social Issues; Technology Adoption; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Utilities Industry; United States; Boston
Toffel, Michael W., Kira R. Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency." Harvard Business School Case 613-054, February 2013. (Revised December 2015.)
- September 2011 (Revised February 2014)
- Case
Duke Energy and the Nuclear Renaissance
Duke Energy, an American investor-owned electric utility, confronts multibillion dollar decisions about its future fuel mix. In particular, its leaders are considering building new nuclear capacity. Whether this is sensible depends, among other things, on demand... View Details
Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Expansion; Policy; Business Strategy; Energy Sources; Utilities Industry; Energy Industry; United States
Vietor, Richard H.K., and Forest L. Reinhardt. "Duke Energy and the Nuclear Renaissance." Harvard Business School Case 712-002, September 2011. (Revised February 2014.)
- January 2025
- Case
GE Appliances 2025: Energizing Change
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Jacob A. Small
At the turn of 2025, Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances following its acquisition by Chinese appliance giant Haier in 2016, is reviewing progress toward his net zero carbon vision for homes, which would otherwise exacerbate the global warming climate crisis. An... View Details
- December 2022 (Revised May 2023)
- Case
Iberdrola: Leading the Energy Revolution
By: Juan Alcácer and Emer Moloney
At the end of 2019, Ignacio Galán, the Chairman and CEO of the world's third largest utility, Iberdrola, reflected on his almost 20 years at the company. He managed a portfolio of three very different businesses, each with their own specific opportunities and... View Details
Keywords: Energy; Energy Generation; Energy Sources; Non-Renewable Energy; Renewable Energy; Engineering; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Timing; Industry Growth; Mission and Purpose; Strategy; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; Utilities Industry; Transportation Industry; Auto Industry; Spain; United Kingdom; United States; Brazil; Mexico
Alcácer, Juan, and Emer Moloney. "Iberdrola: Leading the Energy Revolution." Harvard Business School Case 723-398, December 2022. (Revised May 2023.)
- July 2018 (Revised July 2018)
- Teaching Note
Argentina Power—Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
By: Nori Gerardo Lietz and Sayiddah Fatima McCree
Teaching Note for HBS No. 218-041. This case concerns a complex potential energy infrastructure investment in Argentina by a global conglomerate shortly after Mauricio Macri (“Macri”) became President of Argentina in 2015. The central issues are (i) why was a country... View Details
- February 1992 (Revised April 1993)
- Case
Acid Rain: The Southern Co. (A)
The Southern Co., an electric utility, is planning its compliance with the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. The Act established a system of tradeable permits for sulfur dioxide emissions. The company must decide whether to install pollution control equipment and... View Details
Keywords: Energy Generation; Business Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Cost vs Benefits; Financial Management; Strategic Planning; Investment Return; Government Legislation; Wastes and Waste Processing; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; United States
Reinhardt, Forest L. "Acid Rain: The Southern Co. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 792-060, February 1992. (Revised April 1993.)
- Working Paper
Electrification to Grow Manufacturing? Evidence from Mini-Grids in Nepal
By: Robyn C. Meeks, Hope F. Thompson and Zhenxuan Wang
Firms in developing countries often identify electricity as a major constraint to operations. Decentralized renewable energy sources could help alleviate these constraints. We investigate whether electrification in Nepal -- via microhydro plants and their mini-grids --... View Details
Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Renewable Energy; Infrastructure; Economic Growth; Employment; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry
Meeks, Robyn C., Hope F. Thompson, and Zhenxuan Wang. "Electrification to Grow Manufacturing? Evidence from Mini-Grids in Nepal." Duke Global Working Paper Series, No. 36, March 2021.
- 02 Jun 2010
- First Look
First Look: June 2
over consensus forecasts would be large in the next fiscal year. Our results show that historical inventory and gross margin contain information useful to forecast sales, and that equity analysts do not fully utilize this information in... View Details
Keywords: Martha Lagace
- December 1987 (Revised August 1990)
- Case
Florida Power & Light's Quality Improvement Program
Describes a major electric utility's highly successful effort to institute a comprehensive quality improvement program throughout the organization. Designed to be used in a comparative analysis of the quality improvement effort described in Paul Revere Insurance Co.... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Quality; Performance Productivity; Utilities Industry; Florida
Hart, Christopher. "Florida Power & Light's Quality Improvement Program." Harvard Business School Case 688-043, December 1987. (Revised August 1990.)
- October 2015 (Revised January 2017)
- Case
UPower Technologies Inc.
By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, William A. Sahlman and Liz Kind
The UPower founders, Jake DeWitte and Caroline Cochran, were recent graduates from MIT's Nuclear Science and Engineering Department. They chose to attend Palo Alto–based Y Combinator's accelerator program to focus on building a "mini" nuclear reactor that would produce... View Details
Keywords: Nuclear; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Power; Energy Markets; New Nuclear; Entrepreneurial Finance; Entrepreneurial Marketing; Business & Government Relations; Off-grid; Energy; Renewable Energy; Energy Generation; Energy Sources; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Business and Government Relations; Energy Industry; Utilities Industry; United States
Lassiter, Joseph B., III, William A. Sahlman, and Liz Kind. "UPower Technologies Inc." Harvard Business School Case 816-054, October 2015. (Revised January 2017.)
- 06 Jul 2010
- Research & Ideas
Renewable Energy: Winds at Our Back?
When American energy entrepreneur Jim Gordon envisioned the first offshore wind farm lining the horizon a few miles off the coast of the eastern United States, he perhaps did not factor in blowback from almost every angle. Gordon's nearly 10-year battle to gain... View Details
- 18 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
When It Comes to Climate Regulation, Energy Companies Take a More Nuanced View
Common wisdom holds that oil and gas companies, electric utilities, and other industries known for their large carbon emissions generally oppose clean energy policies. Now, a study of corporate advocacy spanning 30 years reveals that many companies are more flexible... View Details
- March 2019
- Article
Economics of Converting Renewable Power to Hydrogen
By: Gunther Glenk and Stefan Reichelstein
The recent sharp decline in the cost of renewable energy suggests that the production of hydrogen from renewable power through a power-to-gas process might become more economical. Here we examine this alternative from the perspective of an investor who considers a... View Details
Keywords: Sustainability; Clean Technology; Renewable Energy; Energy Storage; Sustainability Management; Sustainable Business; Synergies; Green Hydrogen; Green Technology; Environment; Decarbonization; Carbon Emissions; Carbon Abatement; Energy; Accounting; Decision Making; Economics; Environmental Management; Growth and Development; Management; Operations; Science; Transportation; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Africa; Asia; Europe; North and Central America; South America; Middle East
Glenk, Gunther, and Stefan Reichelstein. "Economics of Converting Renewable Power to Hydrogen." Nature Energy 4, no. 3 (March 2019): 216–222.
- February 2011 (Revised September 2013)
- Case
Sound Group China: Urban Waste Entrepreneurs
By: John D. Macomber, Chad M. Carr and Fan Zhao
Private sector entrepreneur in China with advanced solid waste management capability competes with state owned enterprises and also government policies supporting a rival technology. Wen Yibo has used engineering expertise and political savvy to build a major privately... View Details
Keywords: Private Sector; Public Sector; Service Delivery; Business and Government Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Wastes and Waste Processing; Urban Development; Utilities Industry; China
Macomber, John D., Chad M. Carr, and Fan Zhao. "Sound Group China: Urban Waste Entrepreneurs." Harvard Business School Case 211-086, February 2011. (Revised September 2013.)
- March 1994 (Revised October 1994)
- Case
Reading Energy
Reading Energy builds facilities that produce energy from nontraditional fuels. A privately held, entrepreneurial organization, it has spent six years developing a plan to build a waste-to-energy plant in the town of Robbins, Illinois. The plant would burn municipal... View Details
Keywords: Energy Generation; Wastes and Waste Processing; Business and Community Relations; Business Plan; Agreements and Arrangements; Contracts; Risk and Uncertainty; Government and Politics; Environmental Sustainability; Business Strategy; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Illinois
Reinhardt, Forest L. "Reading Energy." Harvard Business School Case 794-102, March 1994. (Revised October 1994.)
- 07 Jul 2008
- Research & Ideas
Innovation Corrupted: How Managers Can Avoid Another Enron
the rewards were great. This initial success prompted Enron to extrapolate its business model to other markets. In 1994, Enron officials started trading wholesale electricity after Congress deregulated the industry; Enron analysts... View Details
- March 2020
- Article
Synergistic Value in Vertically Integrated Power-to-Gas Energy Systems
By: Gunther Glenk and Stefan Reichelstein
In vertically integrated energy systems, integration frequently entails operational gains that must be traded off against the requisite cost of capacity investments. In the context of the model analyzed in this study, the operational gains are subject to inherent... View Details
Keywords: Vertical Integration; Volatility; Capital Investment; Capacity Management; Renewable Energy; Green Hydrogen; Decarbonization; Carbon Emissions; Environment; Energy; Environmental Accounting; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Investment; Decision Making; Operations; Technological Innovation; Green Technology; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Utilities Industry; Europe; North America; South America; Africa; Asia
Glenk, Gunther, and Stefan Reichelstein. "Synergistic Value in Vertically Integrated Power-to-Gas Energy Systems." Production and Operations Management 29, no. 3 (March 2020): 526–546.