Picture Energy: Top Innovators 2024 Award Winners
Big Moments
Utility company award winners were celebrated in Washington.
Fortnightly Magazine - November 2024
Integrated Distribution System Planning and Utility Regulation
What You Need to Know
“Instituting a robust Integrated Distribution System Planning process is a critical step in advancing more comprehensive planning processes that include a holistic assessment of resource requirements and grid modernization strategies across multiple jurisdictions and parts of the electric system.”
FERC Order No. 1920 Opens Door for Grid Innovation
Market-Driven Reforms
“Market-driven innovation must happen at the edge of the grid. A feat achieved by FERC Order No. 1920, which was unveiled in early May. The first objective of FERC Order No. 1920 is to improve the planning process by adding long-term term planning to existing processes.”
An Agile Utility in New England Enhances Its CIS
Eversource, EY
“Our primary goal was continuity for our customers as we went live. Going from a twenty-plus-year-old system to a modern system, requires moving data. That typically requires taking systems offline, which would’ve impacted customers.”
Energy Provider's Dilemma: On-Time or Affordable Transition?
Accenture
“We asked, ‘How much are you willing to absorb on your utility bill to support achieving net zero?’ They said 9% per year. We backed 9% into investment needed over time, and that 2050 net-zero goalpost gets moved to 2085, illustrating the tension between net zero by 2050 and customer affordability.”
Customer-Sited Generation
A Flexible Grid Resource
“In the past ten years, we’ve deployed over 200 MW at more than 150 microgrid sites across the greater Houston community and even before Beryl hit, the Network Operations Center was ready to support local utilities in keeping the lights on as they worked to restore power.”
What Happens Next in the Courts, Part 3
Will the Open Internet Order Survive Appeal?
“Perhaps the most critical issue on review will be whether the FCC properly reclassified Broadband Internet Access Service (BIAS) as a telecommunications service, because the FCC has much more limited authority to regulate information services.”
Picture Energy: 2024 Energy Efficiency Awards
Alliance to Save Energy
The most distinguished members of the energy efficiency community came together at the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner held by the Alliance to Save Energy.
Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in the Energy Sector
Opportunities, Challenges, and Best Practices
“Regulatory frameworks around AI and cybersecurity will mature, requiring ongoing assessments and updates to cybersecurity strategies to help AI systems remain secure and trustworthy.”
Navigating Energy Transition Pathways
A Look Back
“Since the column's inception in November 2022, we have witnessed vast geopolitical shifts, a global realignment of energy priorities, and a rise in pragmatic regional goals. There have been ambitious goals set, complex challenges grappled with, and practical considerations made. What has become increasingly clear is that the clean energy transition will be multifaceted and rooted in local context.”