Marginal Utility

Way Forward for Electric Utilities
To address this brave new world facing the U.S.’s electric utility industry, we suggest an electric utility six-pack to facilitate the transition.

Legislative and Consumer Advocate Challenges

Reforming the Regulatory Advocacy Process

State legislators must be mindful that the customer base is evolving. We will need to reassess the enabling legislation that defines the consumer advocate’s roles in our various states. The consumer advocates, within the statutory authority granted, may have to choose which customers to represent before utility commissions.

Nuclear Energy: Tastes like Chicken

Combo platter, nuclear and renewables, best deal on the menu
In a world where carbon dioxide has become somehow toxic, carbon-free energy sources are sought after all over the world. Nuclear energy is the other white meat, so to speak. Renewable nuclear energy, which can be recycled, has great value and should be encouraged. Here are five things policy makers can do to enhance the taste of nuclear energy.

Transitioning to the Utility of the Future

Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

As utility executives prepare for the transition to the “utility of the future,” they they would do well to remember the lessons of top dog trainers. Lessons that share a lot of common ground with the best management models.

In Search of Strategic Leaders

Stand as a Champion

Do you stand strictly in defense of the way things are as good enough? Or are you a strategic leader, one who actively explores how to make things better? Best lean to the latter, since the former is a predictable path to irrelevance.

Essential Role of Fossil Fuels in Future Economic Growth

Essential in the 20th Century, and in the 21st

World economic growth over the past two centuries was powered largely by fossil fuels. More than 75 million people are being added to cities globally each year, driving greater energy and infrastructure needs. Fossil fuels will remain the essential global energy sources.

Averting Disaster on the Grid

Strategy to Mitigate Risks of Catastrophic Events

Grid Assurance is a coalition of six major U.S. utilities dedicated to providing a cost-effective solution to address the increasing threats to the security of power supplies. Grid Assurance and its consultants created a first-of-a-kind framework to help reduce restoration times following a severe attack from months to weeks or days.