Management Matters: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Utility Management Group – June 9, 2022

Welcome to the Utility Management Group roundup, Management Matters. As always, your fellow group members are paying close attention to utility management trends and sharing their insights. This month’s selection includes information about federal support for grid innovation, challenges with the 2022 hurricane season, and more. Be sure to like and comment on your favorite posts. Happy reading!

How Can the U.S. Cut Emissions in Half by 2030? 

John Bistline

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/EPRI/how-can-us-cut-emissions-half-2030  

In this post, John Bistline, Principal Project Manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) describes research that compares six models to understand actions needed to achieve 2030 GHG emissions reduction goals. Findings from the research include where the bulk of emissions reductions come from, benefits of the 2030 target, and what additional actions are needed. These and other findings are summarized in an article appearing in Science, coauthored by John and the other participating researchers.   

Resilience and Adaptation: The Undercover Innovation Opportunity

Josh Gould

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/um/resilience-and-adaptation-undercover-innovation-opportunity

Here, Josh Gould, Director of Innovation at Duquesne Light reminds readers that necessity is the mother of invention and points out the areas in which necessity is driving innovation around resilience and adaptation in the power sector. They are climate change, aging infrastructure, asset performance, customer expectations, and capital allocation. These areas are likely to expand in the coming years and Josh recommends recognizing the need and responding by driving innovation.

Encouraging Grid Innovation With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Anthony Allard

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/um/encouraging-grid-innovation-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act

In this article, Anthony Allard, Executive Vice President, Head of North America at Hitachi Energy describes an important part of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Section 40107. This section describes support for utilities through grants that help pay for investments in new technologies like smart grid capabilities and utility analytics. Such tools can support utilities in making faster, more intelligent decisions and promoting resiliency. The program described in Section 40107 can help them do it without undue risk. This item is part of Energy Central’s Innovation in the Electric Power Industry special issue.

Florida Public Power Utilities Preparing for Potential Challenges

Amy Zubaly

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/florida-public-power-utilities-preparing-potential-challenges

In this piece, Amy Zubaly, Executive Director at Florida Municipal Electric Association explains how Florida’s Public Power utilities are working to reduce the impacts of this year’s hurricane season. Actions include clearing vegetation from around power lines, inspecting and replacing utility poles, upgrading electrical substations, and participating in training. Yet these actions are being limited by supply chain issues, which are preventing the availability needed parts and could slow post-storm power restoration efforts as well.

Thanks again for reading this edition of Management Matters! The authors listed above are eager to hear your thoughts and questions, so don’t hesitate to engage them. And if you want your content to be featured in this spot in future issues, be sure to publish your posts within the Utility Management Community.

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