Becoming sustainable requires taking a long-term strategic view of the electric generation portfolio. It taks rethinking three aspects of generation: fuel sourcing, conversion technology and grid coupling. It also requires a forward-looking, sustainable business roadmap to manage the risks of diverse fuels with policy and technology.

“Getting to sustainability really requires us to be thinking about a portfolio view—a view that takes into account both the existing resources, but also does not diminish the value of potential new resources that could be added into the mix, in a way that meets the load demand and functionality,” said Hugo van Nispen, KEMA Inc. President and Managing Director, at the June 29, 2010, Platts Road to Sustainability webinar.

In his Web presentation, van Nispen shares insight on becoming sustainable through a long-term strategic view of all the generation portfolio aspects. van Nispen iterated the need to rethink the utility business model from policy and Legislation, to fuel sourcing, conversion technology, and grid coupling. In addition, van Nispen indicated the need to better appreciate the diversity of load and of supply, in order to join them together.

“In attaining sustainability, we are enabling smart generation and smart load, which will transform the grid into a virtual power network of interconnected energy communities,” said van Nispen. He recommends developing a forward-looking, sustainable business roadmap, rather than deciding how to achieve the outcomes upfront. This includes:

• Creating a balanced portfolio that optimizes assets and is also flexible and adaptable, since policies are uncertain
• Adding diverse renewable energy sources and coupling them with storage so they are dispatchable with the smart grid
• Enabling a multi-directional, multiple capacity T&D system that is dynamic and reacts quickly

Watch van Nispen’s presentation.

For additional information on the sustainable roadmap forward, see KEMA’s whitepapers:

• “Energy Storage – Integrating Renewables, Supporting Reliability”
• “Strategies for Compliance Under Federal Climate Change Legislation”