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 equity in the clean energy transition, the challenges of electrification, and more. Be sure to like and comment on your favorite posts. Happy reading!
A Research Roadmap for Promoting Equity in the Clean Energy Transition
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/EPRI/research-roadmap-promoting-equity-clean-energy-transition
In this post, new Energy Central member Brenda Brickhouse, Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) describes recent workshops held through EPRI’s Equitable Decarbonization Initiative that explored various facets of the energy transition. These sessions helped to define agendas and goals to address issues related to energy reliability, affordability, and justice. Common themes emerging from the workshops were data, metrics, and modeling; workers and communities; customer and cost distribution; and policy and regulation. These themes form the basis of EPRI’s Equitable Decarbonization Research Roadmap.
An Electric Revolution Is Underway, but Revolutions Are Messy
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/um/electric-revolution-underway-revolutions-are-messy-0
In this piece, Llewellyn King, Executive Producer at White House Media, LLC describes the electrification shift currently taking place. He notes that all industries will soon be electrified, including transportation, manufacturing, mining, farming, and processing. He states that utilities are preparing for this shift by implementing DSM and other methods to manage the load. However, he warns that none are ready for a huge surge in demand and there is no national plan to deal with pressing impediments like a lack of transmission.
Case Study – Electric Utility Moves Towards Cost of Service Rates for Each Customer Class and Develops New Rates for Emerging Technologies
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/um/case-study-electric-utility-moves-towards-cost-service-rates-each-customer-class
In this article, Russ Hissom, Owner at Utility Accounting Education Specialists describes a recent study that demonstrates one utility’s approach to cost of service and ratemaking. The utility needed to move rates toward cost of service and incorporate DER and EV charging. The utility created a rate design to more closely match service cost and increased efforts to incorporate a DER generation forecast into its power supply mix. The rate design provided incentives for customers with a phase-in period of three years, with all customers automatically included in the rate at the end.
Practical Steps Utility Companies Can Take To Reduce Wildfire Risks
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/um/practical-steps-utility-companies-can-take-reduce-wildfire-risks
Here, Jane Marsh, Editor at Environment.co reminds readers that utilities play a part in many wildfires, including causing them and needing to be involved in restoring power that gets cut as a result of them. She suggests five measures for utilities to consider for reducing the risk of wildfires. They are moving infrastructure away from vegetation, using the IoT to gain situational awareness, segmenting grids and ensuring backup power, aiming for long-term sustainability, and investing in community education.
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