The traditional electric utility business model is being challenged by new, entrepreneurial and unregulated businesses. These new market players are emerging at the confluence of technology innovation and consumer empowerment

As I prepared for a discussion on the future of electric utilities in Ontario, I considered the implications for local governments and communities and reflecting on the observations and questions raised by various stakeholders. There are several risks associated with the changing business environment for electric utilities that their owners should be aware of. Local […]

The recent experiences in California and elsewhere have hopefully reinforced that the rollout of a smart meter solution is not a simple task. While many articles have focused on communications plans that should have been implemented, accuracy testing that should have occurred, and the legal actions that arise out of possibly erroneous bills, I’ve yet […]

Over the last century, the distribution of electricity has seen little change. It is a one-way process – power is generated and distributed through transmission circuits to substations and on down the line to the end user. As this delivery system ages and load increases, it becomes more and more vulnerable to energy delivery interruptions, […]