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Fortnightly Magazine - April 2017

'Markets' Test

We Called Them 'Markets.' Now We're Testing Them.

We're enamored of free markets, particularly in the nineties. But power markets cannot come close to emulating authentic competition. Why? They cannot satisfy the basic conditions of competition taught in microeconomics 101.
Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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The Lincoln Leader

Leadership Lyceum Podcast: A Conversation with WEC Energy Group President and CEO Allen Leverett

Allen Leverett was appointed President and CEO of WEC Energy Group in May 2016. As one of the youngest CEOs of investor-owned utilities, Leverett brings verve to industry leadership, but also a deep respect for the past. WEC Energy Group is one of the nation's premier energy companies, serving 4.4 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
Byline: 

Allen Leverett, with Tom Linquist

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Energy People: Julia Hamm

We talked with Julia Hamm, CEO of SEPA

Julia Hamm started at SEPA soon after college, finding the organization a natural fit for her talents. She is the brains behind one of the largest trade shows in the industry, and has emerged as one of the foremost experts on the nexus between utilities and distributed energy resources.

Byline: 

Julia Hamm, with Steve Mitnick

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Envisioning the Energy Future

EPRI Podcast: Key Is Integrated Resource Planning

Flexibility, electrification, distributed solar, and smart inverters are familiar terms in today's utility environment, but they are of particular relevance to integrated resource planners. EPRI's Mark McGranaghan, Vice President of Distribution and Energy Utilization, touched on these topics, and a few more, in our latest EPRI Unplugged conversation.
Byline: 

Aimee Mills with Mark McGranaghan

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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.
Byline: 

Dipka Bhambhani

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Looming Risks of Regulated Assets

History May Not Predict Future

Maximizing exposure to regulated assets may not be an optimal long-term investment strategy, despite its present popularity. The factors considered here include lower allowed returns on equity, the law of diminishing returns, declining demand for the product, price increases, and a possible death spiral.
Byline: 

Mark Beyer

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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.
Byline: 

Roger Bezdek, Mike Harshfield, Sean Tegart, Ujjval Vyas

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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.
Byline: 

Kansas Representative Tom Sloan

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