From launch of the New York Green Bank, New York Power Authority initiatives and energy leadership at the highest levels of state and local government, New York is working hard to ensure people have access to reliable, clean and affordable energy. These are some of the folks who help make that happen. Breaking Energy worked… Keep reading →
As Americans brace for warmer weather – and the tornadoes, droughts and hurricanes that come with it – the question remains: are utilities prepared to handle the stress of ever increasing inclement weather? Like weather patterns, every utility requires unique ingredients to successfully navigate storm-related outage prevention and restoration strategy. However, at the foundation of… Keep reading →
Users of critical infrastructure – for example, the electrical grid – are not really known for being blessed with outstanding customer service from their respective providers. Instead, for operators/providers – i.e. utilities – of a public good such as electricity, customers seem not to be the primary consideration given that utilities have a legal “obligation… Keep reading →
$8 billion in smart grid stimulus projects is only a fraction of what’s needed to modernize the grid. The approximately $4 billion in Smart Grid Investment Grants that were issued as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was parlayed into nearly $8 billion in grid modernization projects that are still ongoing.… Keep reading →
In this series on Myanmar’s power sector, Breaking Energy takes a look at the dynamics of the sector, what’s driving change, how foreign investors are getting involved, and the challenges facing the government. In Part I below, we examine the state of the sector. Last November, residents of the new, more democratic Myanmar took to… Keep reading →
Utility Dive takes a look at the new study making headlines – and getting its author on the David Letterman Show – that says the US could generate all its power from renewable sources by 2050. Not to spoil it, but the answer – predictably – is 100% renewables is possible, if not very challenging.… Keep reading →
Towards Understanding How Corruption Impacts the Quality of Electricity Supply to End-Users in Emerging and Developing Economies This article provides a synopsis of a paper submitted to the IAEE/USAEE Best Student Paper Award Competition. On average, a fourth of all electricity produced in low-income countries was lost during transmission and distribution in the year 2000,… Keep reading →
Only six years ago humanity crossed a remarkable threshold: more than half of us live in cities for the first time in history. According to United Nations statistic, fifty years ago it was 30% and a century ago it was 10%. Urbanization as the central framework for human experience and work has been driven by… Keep reading →
Ben Franklin famously said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” This saying certainly holds true for smart grid deployment plans, which can cost utilities several hundred million dollars. Given these high stakes, good planning is essential. Many utilities have installed smart grids. Currently, 25% of U.S. electricity customers have smart meters, a key component of… Keep reading →
The changing utility business model in the face of distributed generation market acceptance is a major theme so far in 2014, and Google’s Nest acquisition is a clear signpost on this transitional landscape. It’s becoming increasingly clear that to lead the way in the new power generation and delivery space, utilities need to decide whether… Keep reading →
