Thank you for checking out the EnergyBiz Network digest. This piece compiles important articles that concern different elements of energy commerce, such as customer care and utility management. The articles referred to in this piece are just a small smattering of the content posted on Energy Central, so make sure to check the rest of the site.
Get to Know Your Fellow Community Member
Spotlight: Kennedy Maize
What sets Energy Central apart from other online industry outlets is the true community-level feel. To highlight that aspect, this spot each month will feature a quick profile of one of your fellow Community Members for you to get to know and inspire you to reach out to them: leave a comment on their recent Energy Central content, follow their profile, and build a new connection in the industry!
Name and Title: Kennedy Maize, Editor and Publisher of The Quad Report
Topics of Focus: Utility business news, energy policy, rate cases, integrated resource plans
Recent Energy Central Contributions of Note:
Is Texas Ready for the Winter?
NuScale Investor Lawsuit: Small Reactors, Big Problems
Electic Utility Merry-Go-Round: PG&E, Consumers, NYISO, AEP
Top Content This Month
Annual Reports, Quiet Quitting, and Crisis Communications: EEC's Best-Read Content of 2023 by John Egan
This article reflects on the highlights of 2023 in the realm of utility communications and marketing, offering utility professionals a curated selection of the year's best-read content from EEC's blog. From insights on annual reports and crisis communications to tackling the phenomenon of "quiet quitting" and brand detox strategies, this compilation provides valuable takeaways for utility communicators and marketers looking to enhance their strategies in 2024.
"There goes another year! Because we’re communicators, we could call 2023 the year of ChatGPT. Don’t worry, this blog is not being written by a generative AI chatbot. But it is being written with good old-fashioned gratitude that we have stayed in touch this year via EEC’s blog. We truly appreciate your readership, your content suggestions, and your introductions to your peers!"
Read the full article and leave a comment or question for the author here
What Do Consumers Think About Public EV Charging? by Nathan Shannon
This article explores the current state of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the United States in 2023, revealing a significant uptick in sales and showcasing insights from a nationwide survey conducted by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC). Utility professionals should read this to gain a nuanced understanding of consumer satisfaction, concerns, and preferences related to EVs, offering valuable insights for electricity providers aiming to navigate the evolving landscape of electric transportation and enhance customer satisfaction in the process.
"While some recent headlines have suggested a significant slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States, 2023 is turning out to be another milestone year for EVs. Through the end of September, sales are up 50 percent – already surpassing last year’s total – and it’s possible that one million annual sales will occur for the first time."
Read the full article and leave a comment or question for the author here
A Step in the Struggle To Move Clean Energy from West to East by Llewellyn King
This article delves into the strategic move by seven Western utilities, led by the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, to join the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) regional transmission organization, aiming to address long-standing transmission challenges and unlock the potential for clean energy transfer from the West to the energy-hungry East. Utility professionals should read this to understand how this collaboration enhances reliability, affordability, and market opportunities, offering valuable insights into navigating the complexities of regional transmission and promoting the growth of renewable resources in the evolving energy landscape.
"The Western states have the renewable resources of wind and solar in abundance. But the big power needs lie east in the population centers of the Midwest and the Atlantic Coast. The West generates and the East consumes. Since the introduction of utility-scale wind turbines in the 1980s, a lack of transmission has led to growing frustration for generators and planners."
Read the full article and leave a comment or question for the author here
Recent Q&A in the Community
Q: Whom do you want to recruit for your company?
Read submitted answers and or add your own!
Q: Is boomer retirement affecting your organization and in particular the leadership pipeline and what can be done to mitigate the challenge of an aging workforce?
Read submitted answers and or add your own!
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Tapping into the Community
We want to make sure this Community is full interactive and properly reflects what you want to be seeing. So in this space each month we'll leave a quick question seeking your feedback: this could be to gather your input on a new feature on Energy Central, to take the pulse of how the Community feels about a certain industry development, or even a fun 'ice-breaker' type of question.
Each month, we'll provide a review of the answers received in summary as well as the new question for the month.
This month, we want to hear about the topics you're most excited about heading into the new year. Using the poll feature below, we'll collect their feedback on a certain question
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