Insights from our Editorial Team
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Report on energy policy omits smart gridNov 22, 2010 |
An attempt by a recent report to articulate a "post-partisan" solution to the nation's energy needs suggests that "liberals and conservatives" abandon cherished notions and get with the program: energy innovation through military procurement processes, innovation centers and "small" and "very low" surcharges and prices on oil imports, electricity and carbon. It's deja vu, all over again.
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Colorado's consumer counsel points to flaws in initial rulingNov 19, 2010 |
Colorado's Office of Consumer Counsel objects to the logic and substance of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission's initial ruling that Xcel is entitled to collect $44.5 million, which covers triple cost overruns, on its SmartGridCity project. Read the OCC's filing here and discover why Xcel and the CPUC can't have it both ways.
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Balance sought for oversight of electric utilities pursuing smart gridNov 18, 2010 |
State regulators called for an independent consumer advocate at the federal level and other efforts this year attempt to balance shareholder and ratepayer risk for smart grid projects. That trend has not reached Colorado, apparently.
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A matter of "getting in there, rolling up your sleeves and doing it"Nov 17, 2010 |
If Ivano Labricciosa, vice president of asset management for Toronto Hydro-Electric System, had a nickel for everyone who has asked him the secret to the utility's successful (and massive) smart meter deployment, he would be a rich man. He and other members of Toronto Hydro's smart grid steering committee shared their thoughts and ideas last week with utility executives across the country at the Knowledge 2010 Summit.
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Does Xcel deserve praise or further scrutiny?Nov 17, 2010 |
Intelligent Utility Daily readers weigh in on our coverage of Xcel's SmartGridCity and they make solid points on how to view the issue of regulatory oversight of utility pilot projects and how to apportion costs between shareholders and ratepayers.
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Preliminary commission ruling gives Xcel free ride on Boulder pilotNov 16, 2010 |
Time is running out to file an objection to the Colorado Public Utility Commission's preliminary ruling that ratepayers should pay for triple cost overruns at Xcel's SmartGridCity in Boulder, Colo. Our columnist finds that initial ruling, by an administrative law judge, doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
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Nov 15, 2010 |
In a recent survey conducted by Sierra Energy Group, the research division of Energy Central, we asked utilities about their customers' understanding of the smart grid. Over 68 percent of the respondents indicated that either their customers do not understand the smart grid or that they have absolutely no clue what the smart grid is.
So do utility customers really desire to be empowered, and are they eager to have additional pricing options? This is a question recently posed to Kit Hagen, who serves as global director of utilities at Convergys, a leading provider of utility customer care and billing software solutions that support the rapid advance of smart grid technology.
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CIOs at Knowledge 2010 focus on gaining credibilityNov 15, 2010 |
At Knowledge 2010, CIOs said that IT and OT (operations technology) personnel need to find opportunities to cooperate and build mutual credibility. One unexpected opportunity: compliance with critical infrastructure protection (CIP) mandates. Cultural differences need to be acknowledged and respected to build that credibility, CIOs said in a closed door session.
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Knowledge 2010 talk focuses on gaining credibilityNov 12, 2010 |
The tension between information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) is real, and yet a discussion of the issue at Knowledge 2010 revealed a number of ways forward. This is the first of two parts to the discussion; the other runs Monday.
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Sessions on consumers, regulators, smart grid and electric vehiclesNov 11, 2010 |
Here are a few vignettes from the Knowledge 2010 conference in Phoenix earlier this week. More detailed sketches to come of the vibrant conversations that took place as the nation's top CIOs, operations and customer service people gathered for peer-to-peer exchanges.
