Quick Take: When it comes to the pending electricity revolution, many utilities dither or postpone or explain away (“It may have happened to every other industry. But it will NEVER happen to us. Because we’re special.”) Many environmental groups, on the other hand, are stepping up. They are not just saying that something must change.… Keep reading →
Quick Take: Do you remember the stories that used to circulate about building a nuclear bomb from instructions on the Internet? I’m starting to feel that terrorists could bring down the grid by reading stories on the Internet. Every week we get details about another vulnerability. Here’s the latest gambit receiving widespread attention. My advice… Keep reading →
Local chambers of commerce have shaped the economic vitality of cities and towns for more than a century. Every day, businesses large and small turn to local chambers for guidance and support. Economic development organizations collaborate and sometimes merge with their local chambers, tapping into their unique knowledge of their communities’ strengths, challenges and needs.… Keep reading →
Quick Take: In July I alerted you that the nominee to replace Jon Wellinghoff as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Ron Binz, was likely to be good for smart grid and renewables but tough on coal. Now we’re learning that his nomination has “generated unprecedented interest and controversy” according to Brent Franzel… Keep reading →
IBM is looking to capture a share of Europe’s growing “smart” electricity market. IBM has inked a deal with the metering division of EOn, Germany’s largest utility, to deliver a data and analytics platform, the Intelligent Energy Service Enablement Platform, for Smart Grid customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with plans to expand offerings to… Keep reading →
Sometimes technology revolutions require a surprising amount of the human touch. While the industry discussions and recommendations around smart grid interoperability take place at the highest level of expertise on subjects of great complexity, in the end a great deal of information is still exchanged the old fashioned way: in face-to-face meetings and on the… Keep reading →
Tools that offer effective communications between utilities and their customers have opened up a broad range of new business opportunities, especially in the field of data analytics. There has been no shortage of commentary on the importance of understanding the reams of data now available to utilities from “smart” technologies if that data is to… Keep reading →
Dear State Public Utility Commission Chairmen and Chairwomen, Risk management isn’t a new concept for any of the utility companies you regulate, nor I’m sure, is it new for you and your team. When large storms or fires cause power outages, you monitor how quickly electric utilities return service to customers. When proposals for new… Keep reading →
Investments in energy efficiency can involve substantial up-front costs, but they can also pay for themselves several times over. In some cases, they can confer additional benefits that exceed savings from reduced energy use. Honeywell recently completed a $2 million Smart Building retrofit project at the Spring Creek Towers complex in Brooklyn, New York. The… Keep reading →
The energy industry is absolutely full of things that almost no one thinks about until they break. Until a high profile blackout or a price spike, the complex and technical questions that determine the outcomes of fundamental sector responsibilities like reliability and data security are often ignored by the broader public and even by industry… Keep reading →
