The U.S. electricity future is challenged by aberrant weather and growing demand.
— Llewellyn King
WASHINGTON DC, USA, September 4, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — U.S. electric utilities are in for a transformative future which, at times, will be convulsive as the pressures on the sector mount.
These pressures include but may not be limited to:
1. Efforts to close fossil generation and substitute it with renewables and small modular reactors, if they are available.
2. An expectation in government and the public that by 2050, electricity will have reached net zero in greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Supply-side shortages of many things, from rare earths for wind turbines and batteries to bulk power equipment, and even pole-top transformers.
4. Evidence shows that demand for electricity could double or triple by 2050, as most things are electrified, including personal cars, intracity deliveries and manufacturing — including energy-intensive steel and cement manufacturing.
Aberrant, destructive weather will bear down on utilities, testing their resilience.
Set that in the context of this summer, when much of the country endured record heat for record long periods of time. The electric supply system came through without major outages, although California and Texas at times asked for voluntary cutbacks.
The system was stressed, and every sector ran flat out at maximum capacity. Gas consumption jumped from just under 40 percent of the national fuel mix to well over it, and coal went from 18 percent to 20 percent of the mix.
The future suggests that massive, transformative changes are in store for the utilities — and they must begin at once.
The United States Energy Association will hold a critically important virtual press briefing on how these impacts will transform the future of utilities on Sept. 12 at noon Eastern Daylight Time.
What will happen? Will there be technological fixes for these challenges or will expectations of reducing fossil fuel use be shelved?
Experts in the field — from utility leaders to technical wizards to prognosticators will be interviewed by senior reporters who cover energy in an information-rich session. Mark Menezes, USEA President and CEO, and a former deputy secretary of energy, will join in as appropriate. Journalist Llewellyn King has organized and will host the briefing.
“The transformative future of utilities will affect every American and every American business,” King says.
The experts:
Melanie Kenderdine, Principal & Executive Vice President, Energy Futures Initiative
Howard Gugel, Vice President, NERC
Rudy Garza, President & CEO, CPS Energy, San Antonio, Texas
David Nagle, President & CEO, Rayburn Electric Cooperative, Rockwall, Texas
Elliot Roseman, Program Manager, USEA
Joern Tinnemeyer, Chief Technology Officer & Senior Vice President, EnerSys
The reporters:
Matthew Daly, The Associated Press
Jennifer Hiller, The Wall Street Journal
Herman Trabish, Utility Dive
Ken Silverstein, Forbes
The briefing on Zoom is open to the press and the public. A recording will be available on the USEA website following the briefing.
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OP7DhbTYTdChoLtBa9EFEw#/registration
Llewellyn King
White House Media LLC
+1 202-441-2702
llewellynking1@gmail.com
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