As the future becomes the present, Andy Bochman maintains it's more urgent than ever for power companies to attract engineers capable of designing, managing and maintaining the new systems the smart grid demands. Where will they come from? He's got thoughts on that inside.
Duke Energy has been planning to expand for at least a decade, so its acquisition of Progress Energy in an all-stock, $13 billion-plus deal isn't a major surprise. But it may be the kind of consolidation the sector needs.
It wouldn't be the end of another year without putting the past 12 months into perspective. In today's post, SGN founder Jesse Berst identifies a dozen smart grid winners and explains why they get the gold star. (And not to worry; losers get their 15 seconds of fame next week.)
At CenterPoint Energy in storm-prone Texas, a major communications overhaul to implement an "Intelligent Utility Network" proved to be the core enabler for transforming the entire organization. Click inside to learn about the four tough "customers" CenterPoint had to satisfy and the four foundational technologies they needed in addition to MDM.
Despite pushback from regulators and ratepayers, a recent survey reveals utilities are eager to move forward with smart grid investments. Andrew Weisel of Macquarie Research provides the numbers and insights.
Energy management pilots conducted by Duke Energy in both businesses and universities have been a positive testing ground for SmartSynch's IP-enabled GridRouter smart grid communications solutions.
One of the best things policymakers could do for the smart grid market is to allow utilities to get bigger. Bigger markets lead to bigger opportunities which lead to bigger innovations. Unfortunately, the economies of scale that have benefited other industries remain a no-show in the electric power industry.
A recent survey of energy professionals conducted by the Association of Energy Engineers says green collar job opportunities are out there, but the skilled professionals to take them may not be. The association called for training programs and policies to fix the situation.
The solar industry and electric utilities should work more closely together as they look for ways to integrate renewable energy and smart grid technologies. That's the word from said Hamm, President and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association.
A study on the impact of EVs on the electricity transmission and distribution system finds it is likely to be minimal over the next 10 years, but that high concentrations of EVs in a localized area could cause transmission overloads.
Pennsylvania's Metropolitan Edison will incorporate BPL Global's load control technology into its overall energy efficiency program to achieve a peak load reduction of 30 MW. Participating customers will get incentive payments and lower electric bills.
A Texas electric utility believes customers really do want smart energy efficiency devices in their homes and businesses and plans to install 100,000 of them by 2012.
Cisco was a big winner in the Internet world and is looking to be equally so in the Smart Grid space. But we count at least five hurdles the networking giant will have to overcome (and you may think of a few we’ve overlooked). So click inside and take a look; there's a Quick Poll too.
There’s much to like about what Cisco is doing to connect the dots in the Smart Grid space. But for utilities, Cisco’s vision may pose some real challenges. High cost, hidden lock-ins and cloud computing are on our worry list. But there’s more too.
American utilities will need to adopt a new business model if they're going to succeed in a 21st century that demands clean, low-carbon electricity and customer engagement, according to a report prepared for the sustainability advocacy coalition Ceres.
Customers who “get” the Smart Grid technologies their utilities are involved in tend to be more satisfied with their electricity providers, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. Problem is, not many consumers get it. See which states can claim the highest consumer awareness.
Peter Fox-Penner’s new book, “Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of Electric Utilities,” is a must-read for anyone in the industry – and we’re delighted that Peter graciously agreed to write a short adaptation for SGN readers. Don’t miss it.
It doesn’t take a Ph.D in economics to see the utility business model is breaking down as fast as the Smart Grid is building out. And rather than shrugging it off as someone else’s worry, Jesse Berst says anyone collecting a paycheck from a utility ought to be nervous - and pro-active about helping piece together a new model. He explains inside.
Once we transform our archaic electric infrastructure into a Smart Grid, what then? Truth is, we don't know. There is no shared vision of the long-term future of the Smart Grid. No roadmap that takes us to our final destination. And Jesse Berst says that’s costing us in time, money and support. Click inside for more on this important topic.
Utilities face an accelerating number of challenges and changes as Smart Grid pilot and demonstration projects are deployed, according to a new report on ‘Smart Grid Growing Pains’ from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The Solar Electric Power Association, an organization with electric utility and solar industry members, has set up "self-help" groups for utility members to help them identify concerns about solar power and provide possible solutions for them, share ideas and develop best practices.
Salt River Project, the third largest public power utility in the U.S., will double its deployment of Elster smart meters, expanding its total rollout to one million. A $56.9 million matching DOE Smart Grid Investment Grant will help pay for the project.
Utilities hoping to avoid the consumer backlash that has stymied some Smart Grid deployments shouldn’t miss today’s advice from Michael Shames, founder-director of a California-based consumer watchdog group. In the first of two installments, he offers some frank suggestions to help utilities avoid a clash with angry, distrustful consumers. As Michael says, it’s not pretty.
Joe Weiss is a man with a mission – and in today’s post Andy Bochman says the utility control system security advocate appears to be making some headway. If you aren’t up to speed on Joe’s cause – and what it means to your utility – Andy’s got you covered.
We're getting mixed signals about the vitality of the smart grid market. On the one hand, the recent DistribuTECH conference was one of the most successful ever. On the other, a well-known Wall Street analyst recently told his clients that the smart metering sector is "facing several headwinds," including weak regulatory support in the U.S. and delays in European adoption. Taking the pulse of the smart grid industry is this week's Tuesday Topic.
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