March 13th was a big day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The inaugural Smart Cities Caucus was hosted by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Democrat - New York and Congressman Darrell Issa, Republican - California.

In her introduction, Congresswoman Clarke emphasized four pillars to bring the American people and communities into the 21st century: connectivity, mobility, workforce, sustainability. See the magazine layout and photos here.

Lisa Wood is executive director of the Institute for Electric Innovation. Plus, she's VP - customer solutions at the EEI. On March 7th, the IEI brought together thought leaders at the beautiful Newseum in Washington, D.C. to discuss energy solutions for customers, both large and small. Panelists included a range of utility, regulatory, customer, vendor and environmental leaders.

EEI continues to expand its international reach through multiple initiatives under its charismatic VP - International, Dr. Lawrence Jones. More member utilities from beyond the U.S., interns from these utilities serving at EEI, and more information-sharing across borders.

And the annual International Luncheon. We were fortunate to get an invite, along with utility and government representatives from around the globe.

This year's keynote speaker was futurist Duncan Stewart, Deloitte's extraordinary director of technology, media & telecommunications research.

It's not news that power systems across the United States are experiencing an upheaval. With the greater deployment of energy efficiency, renewable energy and distributed resources, as well as different usage patterns and customer demands, today's grid is struggling to perform to our expectations.

Transitioning to a more modern electrical grid will require changes to the pricing structures used by electric utilities, moving beyond the traditional two-part rate with its roots in the nineteenth century.