Letter from the Editor

The utility industry was once thought to be stodgy and slow to move, with leadership happy to embrace the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ ethos. Luckily, though, that inertia-filled utility of old is no more, and the name of the game today is Innovation, Innovation, Innovation! New and emerging technologies, creative and forward-looking strategies, and an eye towards the future are everywhere you look in today’s power industry.

With that in mind, we knew it was time to put together a Hot Topic Special Issue series all about Innovation in the Electric Power Industry. Featured in this special issue series are profiles of Energy Central’s Innovation Champions, nominated by their peers and selected by a team of Energy Central Experts. You’ll be able to hear from these champions, in their own words, the value of innovative thinking and what they are doing to continuously push the boundaries of what a utility can accomplish.

Also included in this series are articles contributed by Energy Central Community Members. Several members share how Innovation is already being embraced as a core part of the utility DNA.  While others share previews of what the next great wave of innovative programs and technologies will look like in the future.

We’re excited to share this special issue series with you! We hope you will take the time to read some of our contributions, share your feedback with our authors, or congratulation our Champions by using the comments option at the end of the article.

To access all the articles shared, follow this link.  

To access profiles of our Innovation Champions, follow this link. 

Audra C Drazga
VP of The Power Industry Network