Smart power: climate change, the smart grid, and the future of electric utilities

Description

A new national policy on climate change is under debate in the United States and is likely to result in a cap on greenhouse gas emissions for utilities. This and other developments will prompt utilities to undergo the largest changes in their history. This book examines the many facets of this unprecedented transformation. It begins with a look back on the deregulatory efforts of the 1990s and their gradual replacement by concerns over climate change, promoting new technologies, and developing stable prices and supplies. In thorough but non technical terms it explains the revolutionary changes that the Smart Grid is bringing to utility operations. It also examines the options for low-carbon emissions along with the real-world challenges the industry and its regulators must face as the industry retools and finances its new sources and systems. Thoughout this work the author provides insights into the policy choices and regulatory reform needed to face these challenges. He not only weighs the costs and benefits of every option, but presents interviews with informed experts, including economists, utility CEOs, and engineers. He gives a brief history of the development of the current utility business model and examines possible new business models that are focused on energy efficiency.;The first electric revolution -- Deregulation, past and prologue -- The new paradigm -- Smart electric pricing -- The regulatory mountain -- The (highly uncertain) future of sales -- The aluminum sky -- The great power shift -- Billion dollar bets -- Energy efficiency: the buck stops where? -- Two and a half business models -- The smart integrator -- The energy services utility. The first electric revolution -- Deregulation, past and prologue -- The new paradigm -- Smart electric pricing -- The regulatory mountain -- The (highly uncertain) future of sales -- The aluminum sky -- The great power shift -- Billion dollar bets -- Energy efficiency: the buck stops where? -- Two and a half business models -- The smart integrator -- The energy services utility.