- Llewellyn King, who helped shape President Richard Nixon’s energy policy, says utilities are ripe for innovative change in the wake of COVID-19
- Prolonged power outages after Tropical Storm Isaias also highlight the need for improved resiliency
- Improved communications, decentralized power generation, and more battery solutions among the potential changes
You were more likely to notice a disruption in toilet paper supply during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic than you were to see a loss of electrical power. But the recent crisis, along widespread power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias, have raised questions about how utilities can stay more resilient during emergencies and minimize the risk that the service will be lost.
Llewellyn King, founder of The Energy Daily and author of a plan on which President Richard Nixon based his national energy policy, recently wrote in Forbes that traditional utility models have already been shaken by technology innovations such as microgrids as well as a trend toward renewable energy. King says entrepreneurs are offering solutions such as improved private communications channels for utilities to better address disruptions and on-site power sources that allow for more decentralization of electricity generation.
Another Forbes contributor, Daniel Talero of Guidehouse Insights, says home energy management technologies allow residents to better manage their energy use and save money, but also have the potential to improve residential demand response programs offered by utilities. Talero says the technologies could potentially be expanded to adjust how utilities set their rates as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated a move among companies toward zero- and low-carbon energy, even in the oil industry.
