Spark by T&D World

Supply chain issues, talent retention, adopting new technologies and increasing reliability are problems faced by rural cooperatives as well as larger utilities. The geographical remoteness and smaller budgets of co-ops often mean they need to face problems creatively. T&D World’s Jeff Postelwait spoke with Mike Casper, CEO, Jo-Carroll Energy; Tony Anderson, CEO, Cherryland Electric Cooperative; and Chris Jones, CEO, Middle Tennessee EMC to find out how co-ops are facing these issues and others.

Customers without electricity for days or weeks? Does that happen in the United States of America in the 21st Century? Increasingly, the answer is yes.

Electricity is fundamental to the health, safety and economic vitality of our country…it is the critical infrastructure that must function for other infrastructure to function. Communications, water purification and distribution, sewage collection and treatment, safe ground and air transportation, medical services, physical security and more do not function without a reliable and resilient electric system.

The backbone of the nation’s critical infrastructure, the electric system, has failed at critical times. Unfortunately, we are seeing that our electric grid is not as resilient as we need it to be. How can we build a better, stronger and more resilient electric grid that serves us when we need it most?

T&D asset owners can start by evaluating the total cost of ownership of poles and wires that fail after major events. Next, planners and engineers must address long-term system resiliency for individual circuits, corridors, and communities. The economic and social impact to communities needs to be incorporated into the overall assessment. Finally, the industry needs to embark upon a progressive investment program to harden critical elements of the grid, including strategically undergrounding select transmission and distribution lines.

This new paradigm of prudent investment will prepare us for the high impact storms, wildfires and other events of the future and dramatically reduce the negative impacts on life, property, social fabric and the economy.

Rapid climate change has brought new challenges that can directly and indirectly impact multiple dimensions of the utility business. Utilities must act now. However, utility planning — based on historical information alone — misses the mark. Tomorrow’s climate won’t be like yesterday’s, so historical observations are not a sufficient barometer for future risks.

This podcast will explore the use of climate science in utility planning and investment decision making, providing real-world examples of how utilities are translating climate science into information they can use in their business today. The session also will provide information on requirements for climate assessments in federal funding and potential benefits of insurance costs for utilities.

Takeaways:

What climate science provides to utility planners and emergency managers and ways to fill the gaps to inform decisions today

Techniques for managing uncertainty in future climate information to avoid being paralyzed by data

Examples of utilities incorporating forward-looking climate information on gradual change and extremes into their asset management, planning and operations

Information on climate-risk requirements for federal funding to utilities

This podcast will feature a conversation with thought leaders in the energy space on implementing the vision of a rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits all, and takes into account social, economic, and environmental justice concerns. What are the crucial choices that must be made now to ensure a just path towards a zero-carbon grid? What are the best ways to ensure equity and inclusion for all, including under-resourced communities and minority communities, as we transition to, for instance, more electric vehicles, renewables, and energy storage on the electric grid?

This podcast will address the future of renewable energy resources in the United States, and will feature Antonio Smyth, Senior Vice President, Transmission Ventures, Strategy & Policy at AEP, who will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing such clean energy sources as wind and solar power. With clean energy projects built and proposed across the country, what are the next short- and long-term steps needed to ensure that renewable resources are integrated into the grid efficiently and reliably?

Earlier this year JD Power released their second Utility Digital Customer Experience Study and there were some great takeaways on how user experience trends are shaping within the utilities domain. Jared Stevenson, Digital Solutions Consultant and co-author of the Utility Digital Customer Experience joins us for a conversation about his findings.

The state of Illinois is rapidly updating its state infrastructure and policy to support electrification for EV growth. Jeff Postelwait, Managing Editor of T&D World, talks with Maria Bocanegra, Chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission, on the role that regulators can play in making sure that all customers, regardless of income, have access to conditions that make it easier to make the switch to electric transportation.

National Grid has one of the most aggressive programs to achieve net-zero provision of energy to its customers by 2050, and the use of distributed energy resources (DER) is central to that plan. In this episode, Bader Khan, President of National Grid, talks with T&D World Executive Director, Mark Johnson, about why utilities must act early and strategically to ensure that they are creating inroads for all customers to access and benefit from clean energy and electric transportation.

Salt River Project announced the start of operations for its Technology Innovation Laboratory in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a space for cross-department collaboration, the lab will host activities like technician and engineer training, tabletop exercises and state-of-the art utility technology testing.

Anthony Sivesind, who is a principle engineer at SRP, heads up operations at the lab, and sat down with T&D World to talk about the space and why it’s crucial for SRP’s future technology strategy.

Southern California Edison is one of 8 utilities in California required to submit annual Wildfire Mitigation Plans to the California Public Utilities Commission. Shinjini Menon, SCE's Director of Regulatory Affairs, discusses SCE's 2021 plan and how it's one of the utilities most ambitious corporate initiatives to date. Components of the plan include grid modernization, situational awareness, and wildfire operations.