You’re a utility going along and doing something your system is designed to do. And you’re addressing system efficiency on a 50-year old infrastructure, or else face reliability penalties. Oh, and you’re addressing demand-side efficiency too—so revenues are down. Did I mention no rate increase? Sound familiar?

So what’s a utility to do? KEMA’s Ron Willoughby sat down with Intelligent Utility’s Phil Carson at the 2010 IEEE PES conference in New Orleans last week, where Ron discussed the ‘perfect storm’ facing utilities today and ‘the next big thing’ on the road to a smarter, sustainable electric power system.

Peruse the Intelligent Utility article for a look into the conversation on the utility of the future. Ron offers a glimpse into the evolving technology paths and utility business case—based on insight gained in KEMA’s 80+ years extensive work in guiding utilities in applying a whole-system view to assets, technology, data, operations, and market and regulatory challenges.

Ultimately utilities face complex, capital-intensive challenges to achieving reliability and performance goals. They must manage aging assets within the context of rapid technology development and integration, a graying workforce, and regulatory uncertainty—and all within an evolving and capital constrained market.

So, in a nut shell, here’s what a utility can do. Get beyond insular technology and software perspectives. Develop insightful performance, reliability and carbon/environment strategies and integrated technology and asset management roadmaps. Leverage enterprise-wide insight to enhance the asset management process and outcomes. Manage all the intelligence on the grid. Focus on the utility customer and really engage them, make the consumer-to-grid connection happen. KEMA is working with utilities to do just that—helping them capture O&M cost efficiencies, defer capital spending and improve asset performance for all of their stakeholders. Helping utilities achieve a sustainable balance between performance, cost and risk. Creating order within today’s perfect storm.

Join the Utility of the Future dialog to explore business and strategy implications of the rapidly evolving utility market landscape.

KEMA’s third annual Utility of the Future Leadership Forum
“Strategic Choices – Striking Equilibrium”
June 23 – 25, 2010
The Four Seasons, Washington DC
www.kema.com/UtilityFuture2010

During the KEMA Utility of the Future forum, CEO’s will share their insights on strategy and challenges to engage customers and achieve a sustainable energy supply. Leaders and innovators across the energy industry will take part in discussions focused on customer engagement, investment strategy, regulatory policy, the state of carbon and environmental issues, and explore strategic views of what a sustainable, intelligent infrastructure will look like.