Drinking the Electric Kool-Aid
Battery Storage: The hoopla far exceeds the reality.
Mahler’s music was better than it sounded, and so is battery energy storage.
storage
Solar at High Noon
Surplus generation at mid-day calls for long-duration energy storage.
Utility execs and PUCs should plan now to handle extensive solar penetration, including the significant overgeneration that can occur at mid-day.
From Grid to Cloud
A network of networks – in search of an orchestrator.
The Energy Cloud will change the way we generate, store, and consume energy by changing from a one-way power flow to a dynamic network of networks supporting two-way energy and information flows.
Getting Smart about the Integrated Grid
In New York it’s where we’re staking our energy future.
Disruptive technologies such as microgrids and battery storage devices are commendable but they are supporting actors and must still work with the centralized grid.
Storage Grows Up
More than just energy, it's becoming part of the grid.
One of the most striking aspects of the state's "Reforming the Energy Vision" initiative is the unique role it assigns to energy storage. Utilities may own distributed storage without concern over competitive implications when it becomes a part of the distribution network.
Business Model Mashup
Three ‘power plays’ for utilities seeking growth.
Threats to the utility business model mean that it’s time to make choices about future growth to protect cash flows while investing in new ventures.
Understanding New York's 'Vision'
A roadmap to ‘REV’ and its plan for restructuring.
New York's far-reaching reform plan, called the Renewable Energy Vision, or “REV,” seeks to decentralize power supply by encouraging distributed resources, and a new regulatory entity will be created called a “Distributed System Platform,” or DSP.
Becoming Customer-Centric
Two utilities embrace technology and innovation.
Today the rise of customer-centric technology and innovation has created a whole new set of challenges. Advances have occurred in energy efficiency, demand response, distributed solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles, as well as smart grid infrastructure and analytics. Electric utilities have two basic choices: react to the agendas of the special interests or chart a path forward to create the most value for stakeholders and customers.
Climate, Carbon, Fuel, and the Future
The view from Oregon and Portland General Electric.
Fortnightly speaks with Jim Piro, president and CEO of Portland General Electric. Piro serves as a member of Oregon’s Global Warming Commission. He’s also active in the Electrification Coalition, a national group of business leaders advocating for policies that support electric vehicles.
How Reliable Is Your Microgrid?
An insurer’s perspective on risk drivers for distributed resources.
From an insurance perspective, what happens if an entire microgrid should fail to perform?