American Public Power Association Legislative Rally
PUF attended the American Public Power Association legislative rally in Washington DC on March 1. Photographer: Dennis Brack
Strategy & Planning
Reporting That Seeks to Empower
The Energy Action Project investigates why energy poverty exists, and who is doing what to address it.
Jointly developed by journalists and energy experts, The Energy Action Project (EnAct) aims to address two social issues: high levels of energy poverty and low levels of energy literacy, even in energy-rich areas.
Energy Efficiency: Where We Are Now
Building the Infrastructure
With its roots in the 1970s conservation movement, energy efficiency has grown into a thriving industry today - one that employs many and provides benefits to utilities, consumers, the economy and society in general. According to a recently released report, energy efficiency accounts for about three out of every four American clean energy jobs.
Blockchain is Coming!
A Future of Distributed Ledgers
Blockchain is a distributed system of electronic ledgers that provide automatic, instant cross-verification of transactions. With it, bitcoin offered an unsurpassed degree of reliability. Perhaps you think utilities can just wait and adopt bitcoin or cyber-whatever later. But anticipation and precautionary actions are the best course in the face of uncertainty.
Toshiba Exit Transforms Nuclear Market
Maybe a U.S. Nuclear Revival
Toshiba recently announced that financial write-offs related to its troubled nuclear division, Westinghouse Electric, would total about $6.2 billion dollars. Since the write-off announcements, Toshiba's stock price has been cut in half. Toshiba's financial collapse changes the face of the nuclear industry.
Building Innovation Momentum
Breaking Down Barriers
Executives outwardly struggle with the notion that they now need to focus on becoming more visibly innovative. After all, hasn't this been their mission for decades? But it is also why the needed focus of tomorrow's innovation is so different and why a real challenge exists to remove barriers to success.
What Keeps You Awake at Night?
Energy and Telecom Oases and Deserts
I want to encourage the research and deployment of technologies that enhance human capabilities and quality of life. But our primary concern is to protect the most vulnerable customers from being excluded.
Blurring Lines Between Technical and Cognitive Interoperability
Communication is Key to Success
Exchanging and using information effectively is what interoperability is all about. We often say that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the same is true of the interoperability value chain.
Surprising Energy Requirements of the Cannabis Industry
Part II: Problems and Potential Solutions
U.S. cannabis industry is experiencing explosive growth. The industry is extremely energy-intensive and is already placing strains on some individual utilities and local grids. Here we discuss the implications for utilities and PUCs and explore potential solutions.
Rebuilding the European Electric Grid
USEA Assistance Followed Breakdown of Soviet Union
In 1991, Eastern European countries and the former Soviet republics responded to a completely different set of incentives and policy drivers for the development of their utilities. USEA, together with other implementing partners of the agency, was tasked to help change the mentality of folks that worked in these utilities.