Electric Grid Reliability

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, National Geographic looks at the issue of electric grid reliability and quotes the University of Minnesota's Massoud Amin.

Walter Russell Mead on the Future of Housing

In his Beyond Big Blue, Part 7, Walter Russell Mead takes a look at the future of housing.  Mentioning work by Joel Kotkin on the subject, Mead points out a couple of trends that seem to be escaping the new urbanist conventional wisdom,

"Surveys do suggest that Millennials actually prefer living in the humble detached home to unaffordable yuppie pods on top of tram lines, but something much more interesting may be happening.  Home improvement companies like Lowe’s and Home Depot report an uptick in the number of investors into multi-generational homes, or homes with integrated professional office spaces.  Some builders, like Pulte Homes and Lennar, are even specializing in ‘multi-generational’ homes with cordoned-off space for Millennials, Baby Boomers, and grandparents to live and maybe work under one roof."

Why is Best Buy Speaking to Utility Regulators?

Dan Haugen of Midwest Energy News features Best Buy's Smart Grid strategy and mentions Kris Bowring's recent address to a group of national utility regulators.

Private Sector Leading on Energy Efficiency

In today's business section, the Minneapolis Star Tribune features efforts by Best Buy to develop a market for home energy efficiency equipment.  The Minnesota-based national electronics retailer is leading the way at a retail level into the electric utility concept known as "Smart Grid".  Writes the Star Tribune,

"Best Buy Co. Inc. plans to start selling home energy management products and services next month in what could be a significant new market for the Richfield [MN]-based consumer electronics giant.  Stores in three test markets--Chicago, Houston and San Francisco--will roll out smart thermostats and outlets, energy usage monitors, and possibly a home security/alarm system.  Though Best Buy declined to disclose specifics, the retailer suggested it will devote prominent and sizable space to its new 'Home Energy' section."

The paper quotes Best Buy's Kris Bowring on the retailer's plans,

"We began to recognize the technology movement that was about to begin.  Understanding [energy use] could change energy consumption."

We were pleased to have Kris at one of our Citizens League events last year as well as Best Buy's hosting another event at their headquarters, in conjunction with the Galvin Initiative, exactly one year ago.

As readers of this space will know, I am a big supporter of Smart Grid, as a means of developing real competition in a sector dominated by state-granted monopolies.  Some of my good friends are wary of the concept, because of the "big brother" concerns around the technology and the cost of switching to new gear.

But having a private company leading the way, with all buyers being voluntary participants, should allay those fears.  We should all wish our hometown company nothing but the best of luck.

Return to the Suburbs

Over at New Geography, Joel Kotkin charts the return of young people to the suburbs.  It turns out that just wishing for big demographic and geographic shifts don't make them so.

Updated and Bumped: Webinar with Dr. Peter Fox-Penner

In less than an hour, Dr. Fox-Penner covers the past, present, and future of the electric utility industry.  The recording of the event can be found at this site.  I know everyone is busy, but if you can spare the hour, I think it will be well worth your time.

I have put the Power Point slides (no audio) up at Google Docs.

Dr. Peter Fox-Penner is the former head of the Brattle Group consulting firm.  He is the author of the book Smart Power, which discusses the concept of "Smart Grid" and proposes several alternative business models for the future of the electric utility industry.

As you will see in the Webinar (or read in the book), the electric utility industry is at a crossroads:  we will need hundreds of billions (if not into the trillions) of new investment to renew our infrastructure, but we are stuck with a business model that has run its course.  The vertically integrated electric utility dates from Edison's time:  this 19th century business model is not up to the task of re-creating a 21st century industry.

What Peter does in his work is to move beyond the status quo (in which everyone is stuck) and suggest new models for how the industry can organize itself.

Smart Grid Event at U-MN, May 18-19 (Bumped)

Next week I will be attending a Smart Grid event at the University of Minnesota.  The "Smart Grid Cyber Security Conference" will be held on campus on May 18 and 19.  I urge all who are interested to attend:  it's free! (but space is limited, so pre-register).  And best of all:  Dr. Massoud Amin is speaking on May 19.

Dr. Massoud Amin

Somehow, in the weeks this site has been up and running, I have neglected to include the great Massoud Amin in the pantheon of "People We Like."   Dr. Amin is an engineering professor at the University of Minnesota and inventor (as far as I am concerned) of the "Smart Grid" concept.  You will recognize him from the television commercials that the U has been running of late.

Massoud's U of M TV commercial:

Electric Cars and the Smart Grid

Readers of this blog will come to learn that I am a big proponent of the Smart Grid in electricity.  The two upcoming events highlighted at the right both address Smart Grid development in Minnesota.  Cisco News has a column on Electric Cars as the Killer App that Smart Grid is waiting for.  Smart Grid--bringing 21st century information technology to a 19th century industry--has the potential to revolutionize electric power.

I see smart grid as not another mandate like wind power, or a panacea that will cure climate change, but as a vehicle for giving consumers control over their electric use--in the same way that the mobile phone has given consumers control over information flows.

The Electric Car may or may not become the killer app for smart grid, but smart grid, if implemented correctly, will certainly be the killer app for electric power in the 21st century, like the light bulb was the killer app in the 19th.  (Via Midwest Energy News)