<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Innovation from the nation’s most progressive electricity providers]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Kristina & Jason Makansi http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/ Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:43:15 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/1 big energy - big vision

Thanks for covering this session. Through our work in the electricity industry, we talk to companies--large and small, global and local-- who are trying to develop new technologies and leverage new ideas to address the environmental and economic challenges we face. From revolutionary engine and turbine technologies, bulk and small-scale energy storage, smart grid solutions, advanced metering, thermotunneling, more efficient water filtration, to all sorts of other clean-tech ideas, we work with people every day who are trying to make a difference.  

It bears repeating that utilities are public companies whose stock is held by millions of people who profess concern about the environment, but who also are demanding rebates from defunct deregulatory schemes. There must be a balance...electricity is not free and continuing to provide cheap electricity (remember 50% of our electricity comes from coal) will continue to come at an environmental cost. If we want to incentivize utilities and other companies to invest in environmentally-friendly technologies, the people who own stock through our pensions, 401Ks and retirement stock funds, must let them know.

As we've written before, "believe it or not, there are good people within the electricity industry working hard to research and deploy new efficient technologies, trying to  make "renwables" part of their company's asset portfolios, and, generally speaking, trying to be a part of the solution."  

Pearl Street::Jason and Kristina Makansi Read Lights Out reviews


]]> big energy - big vision

Thanks for covering this session. Through our work in the electricity industry, we talk to companies--large and small, global and local-- who are trying to develop new technologies and leverage new ideas to address the environmental and economic challenges we face. From revolutionary engine and turbine technologies, bulk and small-scale energy storage, smart grid solutions, advanced metering, thermotunneling, more efficient water filtration, to all sorts of other clean-tech ideas, we work with people every day who are trying to make a difference.  

It bears repeating that utilities are public companies whose stock is held by millions of people who profess concern about the environment, but who also are demanding rebates from defunct deregulatory schemes. There must be a balance...electricity is not free and continuing to provide cheap electricity (remember 50% of our electricity comes from coal) will continue to come at an environmental cost. If we want to incentivize utilities and other companies to invest in environmentally-friendly technologies, the people who own stock through our pensions, 401Ks and retirement stock funds, must let them know.

As we've written before, "believe it or not, there are good people within the electricity industry working hard to research and deploy new efficient technologies, trying to  make "renwables" part of their company's asset portfolios, and, generally speaking, trying to be a part of the solution."  

Pearl Street::Jason and Kristina Makansi Read Lights Out reviews


]]> Comment #2 by hdsolarguy http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:11:14 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/2 re: Utilities

I was told years ago that electric utilities would gradually evolve from being in the "energy-making business" to the "energy-MOVING business." With the growth in renewables, that seems to be finally happening. Some of us think a new global energy network is evolving which will forge a new global energy marketplace. For more information, see http://www.terrawatts.com

]]> re: Utilities

I was told years ago that electric utilities would gradually evolve from being in the "energy-making business" to the "energy-MOVING business." With the growth in renewables, that seems to be finally happening. Some of us think a new global energy network is evolving which will forge a new global energy marketplace. For more information, see http://www.terrawatts.com

]]> Comment #3 by Sean Casten http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:34:50 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/discover-brilliant-utilities/3 Mankansis

Yes, there are good people in utilities.  But one should not lose sight of the fact that in the current regulatory paradigm, any savings from efficiency or otherwise cheaper power must be passed along to consumers, with no ability for the utility to make a profit on that activity.  Ergo, any utility employee who spends time thinking about how to drive up the efficiency of his utility is wasting shareholder money.  Against this, shareholders do benefit from the appearance of concern about efficiency.  So every utility has very strong PR focus on efficiency, but almost no actual investments in same.  This isn't because the employees are bad people, but rather because the regulatory model provides incentives for the wrong behavior.  

]]> Mankansis

Yes, there are good people in utilities.  But one should not lose sight of the fact that in the current regulatory paradigm, any savings from efficiency or otherwise cheaper power must be passed along to consumers, with no ability for the utility to make a profit on that activity.  Ergo, any utility employee who spends time thinking about how to drive up the efficiency of his utility is wasting shareholder money.  Against this, shareholders do benefit from the appearance of concern about efficiency.  So every utility has very strong PR focus on efficiency, but almost no actual investments in same.  This isn't because the employees are bad people, but rather because the regulatory model provides incentives for the wrong behavior.  

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