Insights from our Editorial Team

The U.S. Department of Energy recently released two reports, consolidating feedback from RFIs and public meetings, with regard to utility communications needs and data access and privacy. While some of the key findings are familiar, the second of the two reports delves more deeply into state responsibilities than we've seen of late.

Twenty years ago, if a utility did something innovative, you assumed it was a large investor-owned utility. Over the last decade this assumption has faded, as co-operative and municipal utilities implement innovative solutions to address business challenges, and have delivered impressive results from their investments. Our industry might be making a similar paradigm shift with regards to regulatory concerns. Christopher Perdue spoke recently to David Johnson, chief information officer at EPB, about how his utility is dealing with innovation and regulatory concerns.

NV Energy will offer its smart-metered customers a chance to opt-in for time-of-use rates, with one opportunity to opt-out within12 months if they face higher bills, in part to encourage nighttime charging of electric vehicles. Travis Johnson, manager of electric transportation and emerging technologies at the Reno, Nevada-based utility, describes NV Energy's approach.

Venture capital flowing into the smart grid ecosystem promises to reveal insights into what technologies will be disruptive, eventually mainstream and lucrative. But a glance at recent VC activity doesn't immediately yield an understanding of where the industry is heading.