Are Utilities Ready for the Coming Death Spiral?

The Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Alternative Energy, Tech News, 958784, Environment, Technology, Renewable Energy, Energy, Business, Sustainability, Wind Energy, Climate Change, Cleantech, News, Solar Energy, Innovation, News Commentary

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2013

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Utilities are on the verge of a "death spiral" as more customers leave the grid and implement distributed energy technologies like solar. The same thing happened in Telecom as the rise of mobile phones made copper lines nearly obsolete. We'll ask what lessons the utility sector can learn from telecom companies that have already navigated the shift to distributed technologies. We'll also discuss why the Tea Party and other unlikely groups are supporting renewables, as well as ask what we've learned about grid management ten years after the notorious 2003 Northeast blackout. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features engaging discussion between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Editor Stephen Lacey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	For the week of August 15th, 2013, this is the Energy Gang Podcast from Green
0:10.6	Tech Media. In Washington, D.C. I'm Stephen Lacy, back after a two-week summer hiatus.
0:22.0	In New York City is Jigger Shaw, entrepreneur, energy
0:26.0	futurist, and author of the upcoming book Creating Climate Wealth. Jigger, how's it going
0:30.4	this week? Fantastic, I have to say August is a really relaxing month.
0:35.0	It is, absolutely.
0:36.0	And our co-host, Catherine Hamilton has switched out her vacation time with me.
0:42.0	As soon as I came back, she headed to the Adirondacks and this week we have a great co-host, a former colleague of mine and a current friend Richard Caperton.
0:52.0	Richard's the managing director of Energy at the Center for American Progress,
0:56.0	and he focuses on energy finance, policy, technology adoption, and utilities.
1:01.0	So let's welcome him by phone in DC as Richard Caperton.
1:05.0	Hey there. Thanks. Yeah, good to talk to you.
1:08.0	How does it feel to be on your first episode of the Energy Gang, not only as a guest but an actual host.
1:13.2	It actually feels pretty intimidating, you know, sugar and gathering and you,
1:18.0	Steven, they're all fantastic experts, so I'm hoping and trying hard to contribute.
1:24.0	Yeah, well you've got some great stuff and that's why we brought you on because we're going to talk about a couple different issues that you work on pretty closely.
1:31.0	So one is on this concept of the utility death spiral.
1:35.0	Richard is out with a new report on this concept spurred by the evolution of distributed energy and how it may follow the digital
1:46.0	divide in telecom. So we'll talk about that report as our top story this week and
1:51.0	debate the future of utilities. Then what is the Tea Party
1:55.2	doing with the Sierra Club supporting solar of course? Counterintuitive but
2:00.6	an important development. We will look at some developments on the state level where local groups are fighting back against attacks on renewable energy targets, and forging some alliances that may surprise some people.
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