Neil Placer, Director of Utility Services Consulting, featured in a PowerGrid International Exclusive.
The Case for Holistic Utility Strategy that Brings DR, DER and CE Together
How a comprehensive strategy can enable the convergence of technology, people, and markets
Technology is advancing at an exponential rate across various industries and markets. It seamlessly encompasses all parts of our lives, from business operations and recreational activities to our daily interactions with social media. The digital revolution is in full swing and the name of the game is data – and more specifically, how data can be leveraged. As the old adage goes “knowledge is power”, but a more apt description of today’s world may be to say that “leveraging data is power”.
Historically, the electric utility industry has been somewhat insulated from changes occurring outside of their immediate control. This has enabled utilities to take a measured and orderly approach to “keeping the lights on”. This long-standing utility construct has been present in for over a century, but is now beginning to change. Electric consumers are now exposed to a growing array of available technology options provided by market forces operating outside of the utility “firewall”. To those within the electric utility industry these changes are clear and come as no surprise. What is not as clear is how the electric utility industry can strategically adapt to become a market competitor, rather than a market memory.