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Strategy & Planning

Customer First

Is the current regulatory compact in anyone’s best interests?

Serving customers’ needs should be a top priority for power companies, irrespective of the regulatory construct and business model. Transformation doesn’t change this basic fact, but how do we break the model without breaking the system?
Byline: 

Charles Dickerson, Darren Brady, and Jamie Wimberly

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Don't Get Netflixed

The tide is turning. Are we planning for it – or hoping to stop it?

The central station system is the most cost-effective way to provide utility service, but that's beside the point. Customers don't care about 'utility service.'
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr, Editor-in-Chief

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The Innovator's Dilemma

Assessing the risks and rewards of distributed energy strategies.

To embrace change or fight it? The choice to either act or wait and see is fraught with complexity.
Byline: 

Hugo van Nispen

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Opening the Black Box

A new approach to utility asset management.

Creating a dynamic statistical approach to designing an overall strategy for utility asset management.
Byline: 

Charles D. Feinstein and Jonathan A. Lesser

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Power Breakfast

Fortnightly’s Executive Roundtable considers industry options and risks.

Fortnightly recently convened a group of senior operations executives from a variety of companies to discuss current trends in the U.S. power industry. Their comments reflect a mixed outlook on the industry’s transitionary changes.
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr

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Dealing With the Duck

Designing markets to accommodate variable resources.

Growth in variable resources creates an increasing need for demand response and fast-ramping generation. The right market design can bring both.
Byline: 

Mike Hogan and Bentham Paulos

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Embracing Disruption

Developing a leadership role for utilities in alternative technologies.

Faced with aging assets, rising operating costs, growing regulatory risks, and flat demand growth, utilities are challenged to remain competitive in an evolving energy market. The answer might be for utilities to establish a leadership position and pursue a more flexible mission.
Byline: 

Andrew Kosnaski and Ramesh (“Rudy”) Shankar

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Smart Transition

Embracing a competitive and digital future for utilities.

A recent Accenture survey shows utility executives believe smart grid capabilities will transform the industry and bring competitive opportunities.
Byline: 

Jack Azagury

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Turning Toward Customers

Utility transformation guided by improved customer insight.

Improved customer insight can help utilities transform their business models, to strengthen engagement with consumers and remain competitive as the energy sector evolves.
Byline: 

Osvald Bjelland

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All You Need to Know

Picturing utilities in a series of sobering snapshots.

Utilities are growing rate base despite static or declining demand: making customers pay more for a product they want less of.
Byline: 

Leonard S. Hyman

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