Smart Grid

SGIP, New and Improved

Making the case for collaboration on interoperability standards

The mission of harmonizing industry standards moves forward in the work of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel 2.0, Inc.

Rise of the Machines

Who’s afraid of the transactive grid?

Smart grids and nodal markets spark the emergence of a transactional grid. In fact it’s already happened, and we’re just becoming aware.

Smarten Up Your OMS

White Paper - Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS)

With the estimated annual cost of outages to be more than $150 billion in the United States alone, reduction of this significant economical impact is important. To help manage the grid during service interruptions, nearly every distribution utility uses an Outage Management System (OMS). The OMS is a valuable tool for cutting costs — both for the utility and its rate payers.

Economy of Small

How DG and microgrids change the game for utilities.

Energy microgrids have emerged as more than just a curiosity. The technology is improving, costs are falling, and developers are lining up to build projects. How will microgrids overcome the substantial challenges that stand in their way?

Energy Efficiency's False Hope

Only behavioral change will reduce energy consumption.

Standards and technology don't reduce energy consumption, despite the claims of efficiency zealots. Real energy savings only come through behavioral change.

The Law of Unintended Consequences

The transition to distributed generation calls for a new regulatory model.

With the best of intentions, policymakers have encouraged the proliferation of distributed generation (DG) in various forms. Now, however, the trend toward DG is accelerating more rapidly than traditional utility ratemaking and business models are capable of managing. Failure to rationalize the regulatory framework will bring serious and costly disruption.

Peaceful Coexistence

Independent microgrids are coming. Will franchised utilities fight them or foster them?

Despite offering a range of benefits, microgrids are proving to be controversial—especially when non-utility owned microgrids seek to serve multiple customers. The biggest battles are taking place in the realm of public policy. But utilities that pursue collaboration rather than confrontation are finding interesting opportunities for profitable investment.

'Resilience'

A new watchword for the industry and its regulators.

If the concept of resilience—including cyber and physical security—had been baked into the industry’s culture from the beginning, the energy grid might look a lot different from what it does today.

IT-OT Convergence

Breaking down silos to achieve a more enabled workforce and more informed stakeholders.

Operations are finally getting together with IT. As a result, utilities will be able to achieve a range of business goals&emdash;and serve customers better.