Grid upgrade is 'world's largest industrial automation project'

The growing share of renewable-energy sources and advances in power grid technologies are driving an era of “unprecedented” change to our energy infrastructure.

The was the prevailing opinion of attendees at the Fourth Annual Utility of the Future Leadership Forum , held in Denver last week by energy and utilities consulting firm KEMA. The forum brought together utility executives, energy innovators and decision-makers for a day-and-a-half discussion of the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

Much of the discussion focused on the disruptive effect of the smart grid and other recent market, technology and environmental trends.

“Throughout its history, the grid has been able to absorb new technologies; what makes it different today is the unprecedented rate of change,” said Paul Camuti, president of Siemens Energy, Smart Grid Applications. “Really what we are talking about is the world’s largest industrial automation project.”

Attendees agreed both opportunities and challenges will arise from the growth of renewables, intermittency problems, increased customer sophistication, the challenges of cyber security and the role of natural gas as a transitional fuel to a low-carbon energy system.

“Environmental concerns, customers’ growing desire for control, advances in technology, and the growth of EVs and renewables are rapidly accelerating the adoption of smart grid technologies,” said Hugo van Nispen, managing director of KEMA Americas. “Utilities are actively engaged in leading the way forward to a more sustainable business — leveraging new technology –that begins to more fully connect the energy value chain in new and innovative ways.”

“I would argue that our company is currently facing the greatest changes in its 195-year history,” said Ken DeFontes, president and CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company.

Most attendees agreed that energy consumers are increasingly sophisticated and want more control of their energy systems. The ability to proactively manage their energy infrastructure will require utilities to establish the “smart foundation” and work proactively with individual application developers, allowing utilities to provide additional products and services.

“Our customers are already seeing the benefits of our water and electric smart grid deployment in their water bills,” said Glenn Steiger, CEO, Glendale Water & Power. “Even though our deployment is only 80 percent complete, we’re able to discover water leaks they didn’t know about and they’re becoming smart-grid fans.

Why Is Renewable Energy Coming Along So Slowly? (Free Report ...

The research addressed one central issue:

The world is moving to clean energy, but at a far slower rate than many people would like to see. But WHY, exactly, IS IT SO SLOW?

Download the free report, THE IMPEDIMENTS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, here:

http://2greenenergy.com/impediments-to-renewable-energy/

In his quest to get at the truth behind the migration to clean energy, Craig Shields, editor of 2GreenEnergy.com , has published the results of a survey that his organization conducted in May, 2011.  Of the 500+ respondents who provided their input on the matter, less than one-third cited the costs of clean energy; the vast majority pointed to other forces.

“The world is moving to clean energy,” says Shields, “but at a far slower rate than many people would like to see. But why, exactly, is it so slow? I have my own opinions, but I’m constantly looking for accurate answers to this incredibly important question.”

The report is being hailed as a “terrific attempt” to get a pulse reading on some of the most important issues of the day in the renewables industry:

“Of course, there is a profound difference between opinion and fact,” Shields acknowledges.  “But when enough people share the same opinion, that level of agreement becomes an important fact on its own.  That’s the reason for a survey like this.  In some cases, perception is reality.”

The report provides a detailed summary of respondents’ beliefs.  Participants shed a great deal of light on some really critical issues:

Download the free report, THE IMPEDIMENTS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, here:

http://2greenenergy.com/impediments-to-renewable-energy/

“I was a bit surprised to see as much political animus, as it were,” Shields said.  “I was prepared for people to go on about how expensive renewables are versus the dirtiest forms of coal, how delicate the economic recovery is, and how we simply can’t afford clean energy.

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