| Fortnightly

Investor-Owned and Public Power Can Learn from Co-ops

Co-op Approach in Energy Efficiency

Co-ops have the freedom to explore creative ways to enhance energy efficiency. Two forward-thinking programs that treat efficiency as a utility investment may be starting a bit of a revolution.

Byline:

Michael Volker

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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.

Byline:

Tim Echols

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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.

Byline:

Alan Feibelman and Gerry Yurkevicz

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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.

Byline:

Roger Woodworth

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Challenges of Coops Converging with Other Utilities

‘We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’ Maya Angelou.

Coops’ customers are increasingly suburban rather than exclusively rural. What’s driving this convergence? And what are the implications for the future of the coop sector?

Byline:

Steve Mitnick

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Leveraging Gas Smart Meter Technology to Improve Energy Choice

Step forward to match supplier delivery, customer usage

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. headed towards setting an industry standard as it implements smart-meter-driven delivery forecasting to match supplier delivery and customer usage.

Byline:

Michael McShane

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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.

Byline:

Roger H. Bezdek

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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.

Byline:

Harjeet Johal, Kenneth Collison, Elliot Roseman, Dan Rogier

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Reshaping Energy

Transition to Renewables Minimizing Societal Cost

Implementation of renewables is much more complex than simply replacing fossil fuel plants with renewables. We must transition to renewables. But let's make sure we transition to the package that minimizes total societal cost.

Byline:

Charles Bayless

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Competing Perspectives on Demand Charges

Survey of consumer advocates identifies areas of agreement and disagreement

This article summarizes perspectives on both sides of the demand charge issue. Based on this review, it proposes practical initiatives to address key concerns about residential demand charges.

Byline:

Ryan Hledik and Ahmad Faruqui

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