KEMA Utility of the Future 2009 executive summary.
“Navigating energy sustainability”
The pace of change towards a sustainable energy future is accelerating. High-level utility and energy industry executives, financial analysts, and US government officials involved in national energy policy gathered at the KEMA Utility of the Future conference to discuss the opportunities available and challenges faced in transforming the energy future. The dialog revealed that communications, collaboration and innovation are key to how well utilities will fare in a fast-paced, always-on future.
New entrants from the IT, data management and technology sectors want a piece of the action historically considered the electric utilities’ domain. Those market players that can connect with and engage utility customers quickly and simply will have the competitive advantage in an increasingly plugged-in, sustainable energy future.
Utility industry at a point of historic transformation
Throughout the two-day exchange of ideas, experience and insight, the KEMA Utility of the Future conference participants found the utility industry at a point of historic transformation of how we value electricity, view the product, and extract value from the evolving energy system. Participants also found that the emerging smart grid is the enabling technology moving the utility to a 21st century business model – focused on innovation in customer interaction, products and services.
The transformation is bringing new competitive forces into the industry. Utilities are being actively disintermediated by product and technology companies outside the regulated utility sphere. Even consumers who want to take control of their energy use and reduce their individual impact on the environment will also influence the utility role the emerging energy future.
Adapting to the emerging energy future - time for action is now
The conference clearly highlighted that the time for action is now. Momentum for change, for moving towards the sustainable energy future, is building—climate policy, falling cost of grid and IT technology, renewable penetration, fuel prices, electric vehicles. How well utilities respond to the accelerating pace of change and adapt to the emerging energy future depends on how well we implement the smart grid today.
About the Utility of the Future conference
KEMA’s 2nd annual Utility of the Future executive conference was held June 18 – 19, 2009 in Washington DC.
For information on the panel participants and keynote speakers, download the conference summary Whitepaper, “Utility of the Future: Navigating energy sustainability.”
Thoughts, comments or insights? Join the KEMA Utility of the Future conversation.
KEMA’s 2nd annual Utility of the Future conference session summaries.
Transforming the sustainable energy future requires significant investment in smart grid, energy efficiency and renewable technologies.
The Smart Grid is the foundation for Smart Energy.
Rules make markets. And rules are driving the immediate action on Smart Grid.
There continues to be significant regulatory uncertainty in energy generation—particularly so in light of the American Climate and Energy Security Act.
The utility industry expects to see new carbon policy limiting carbon emissions during the current administration.
Energy storage is a transformative technology—it has the potential to change everything.
Plug-in vehicles (PEVs) have become a topic of focus of bulk system operators, along with demand response, renewables and smart grid.
Smart grid technology is a bridge that connects generation supply, demand and customers. To make it work, we need to know what customers are going to do.