AUGUST 2019 | FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
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FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY Steve Nash
The NBA legend shares his experiences with solar energy
The mayor of LA has some strong thoughts on electric vehicles Learn about the role nuclear will play in the renewables space
Upcoming Events Smart Energy Week September 23, 2019 Salt Lake City, UT
How Policy Can Help Create a Zero-Carbon Future
AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER 2019 Conference October 22-23, 2019 Boston, MA
PHOTO: THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
VERGE October 22-24, 2019 Oakland, CA
Energy Storage North America Expo November 5-7, 2019 San Diego, CA
BECC November 18-20, 2019 Sacramento, CA
AWEA Clean Energy Executive Summit November 19-21, 2019 Carlsbad, CA
IDtechEX’s Electric Vehicles: Everything Is Changing November 20-21, 2019 Carlsbad, CA
Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, has created initiatives that support renewable energy, electric vehicles, and other sustainable practices. He offered his advice on how and why other cities should do the same. What have you done to help homeowners and businesses in Los Angeles decrease their carbon footprint? Since 2013, we’ve invested nearly $531 million in energy-saving programs and rebates to make it easier for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and cut their utility bills. Together, these investments — along with innovations like attic insulation, smart thermostats, and cool roofs — have conse-
rved enough energy to power 340,000 homes for a year.
and a carbon-neutral future for our communities.
Which technologies would you say are crucial for the renewable energy evolution to continue?
Can you quickly discuss and debunk one or two myths surrounding the renewable energy industry for our readers?
Our main focus is twofold: protecting our environment while making economy work for everyone. To meet our goals, Los Angeles is making investments now that will pay off in the future with cleaner air, less reliance on fossil fuels, greater prosperity for our workforce,
Many people falsely believe clean energy will mean higher energy bills. That’s just not true. In fact, the price of renewables has steadily decreased over the last decade and is trending toward becoming the cheapest option available. n
Publisher Mitchell Gross Business Developer Abe Freedberg Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Lee Miller Copy Editor Dustin Brennan Director of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Director of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Director of Product Faye Godfrey Lead Editor Mina Fanous Content Strategist Vanessa Rodriguez Cover Photo Jed Jacobsohn / The Players Tribune All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today. FOLLOW US: @MEDIAPLANETUSA
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Balancing the Tried & True With the New: The Flexible Approach to Tomorrow’s Energy
Renewable energy is on the rise but keeping the lights on requires a balanced portfolio. SPONSORED
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enewable energy sources have become an essential part of any discussion about the future of energy. Renewable generation has nearly doubled in the United States over the last five years, providing 17.6 percent of the electricity generated in this country in 2018.But renewable energy sources have their challenges. “Right now, all-renewable isn’t practical,” notes Paula Gold-Williams, president & CEO of CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas, the largest municipally-owned energy utility in the country. “They’re weather and time-dependent, and energy storage right now is expensive.
That will change someday, but for now it’s reality.” The future “The energy industry is trying to figure out how to make energy more of an active part of people’s lives,” says Gold-Williams, “so that energy will enable technology to respond to how people want to live.”That means energy providers must move carefully when adopting new energy generation technologies. One example of this thoughtful approach is a plan called Flexible PathCPS Energy launched in 2018 as a stable pathway to reducing reliance on fossil fuels.“I began to think as a CEO how much the energy business was going to change,” recalls Gold-Williams. “So I told all of my planning people to assume that somehow technology will change so much that it is not about us generating the
power, it’s about us moving the power, it’s about our service. Give me an integrated resource plan where we don’t build anything. But the fact of the matter is the industry doesn’t have all the technology that it needs today. We wanted to stay flexible.And that flexibility is one of the most important things.” The Flexible Path is a generation strategy for the next 30 or 40 years, combining renewables with new technologies and approaches to fossil-fuel energy sources, like small capacity plants of just 200 or 300 megawatts. CPS Energy’s newest initiative, the FlexPOWER Bundle, builds on this balanced approach with another crucial aspect of tomorrow’s power management: Community involvement. Partnership with community CPS Energy has kicked off public input for its FlexPOWER
Bundle, a “blended energy approach,” asking the community to help guide decisions regarding investment in renewable energy sources, battery storage technologies, carbon-free advanced small capacity nuclear technology, and environmental concerns while maintaining the highest levels of reliability — and affordability. “Community engagement is huge,” Gold-Williams says. “When we did the Flexible Path, we created ambassadors throughout our company who could talk about the Flexible Path. We looked at our Flexible Pathfrom our customers’ perspective whenever we could.”Engagement with the community also inspired the Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP), initially launched in 2009 with the goal of saving 771 megawatts by 2020, a conservation goal CPS Energy is on pace to exceed (under budget, to boot). To build on this success, CPS Energy has reached out to the community with an initiative called FlexSTEP, seeking feedback to determine their next conservation goal. On the cutting edge This responsive, flexible, and blendedapproach has made CPS Energy a leader in renewable energy. The company recently completed a new battery storage facility at the Southwest Research Institute(SwRI), consisting of a 5-megawatt solar power facility and a 10-megawatt storage system. The installation will allow CPS Energy to “shift” energy —capturing it during the sunlit hours, storing it in the batteries, and then dispatching it later when demand increases.For Gold-Williams and CPS Energy, this is about more than just keeping the lights on. “Energy enables how the world functions,” she says. “Energy enables everything.” n Jeff Somers MEDIAPLANET • 3
Meet the Nation’s Only African American Female Energy CEO As a former accountant, Paula Gold-Williams wasn’t exactly the obvious pick to run San Antoniobased CPS Energy, but she’s bringing a fresh perspective to the new age of utility companies. How did you become involved in the energy sector? How would you recommend women break into the industry? I am an accountant leading a 159-year-old energy company — not the usual suspect to lead a utility company. Since becoming the president and CEO, I have used my diverse career experiences to shift the focus of CPS Energy from poles, lines, and pipes to people.
With over 30 years of leadership experience ranging from telecommunications to food services, I have always been open to learning new things. While it’s a sweeping generality, men will look at a job description and, even if they don’t have the experience needed, they are confident enough to take a chance. Women, on the other hand, who are a very close match, tend to feel less ready for the job — so my advice for women to break into the utility industry is to just go for it! What was the most formative piece of career advice you received?
Be present in the moment for opportunity and just say “yes!” Don’t say, “I don’t know if this is the right time,” or, “I don’t know whether this is good for me,” or, “Can you give me a job description?” Early in my career, I volunteered for the projects other people didn’t want. I am a lifelong learner, and I felt that taking projects and roles that other people didn’t want would provide me with the opportunity to learn even more. What skills do you utilize every day, technical or otherwise? A great leader knows they’re a work in progress, and at the
same time they encourage emerging leaders to be better. A true servant leader knows when to set the example and when to stand in the back and watch their team work. The hard assets don’t matter as much as the people — they’re what truly make the organization. What skills do you utilize every day, technical or otherwise? As the only African American female energy utility CEO in the country, I am a strong proponent that inclusive leadership is crucial to the energy industry’s future. At CPS Energy, we showcase that inclusivity through the diversity of our senior chief leadership, which is made up of over 60 percent women and of which half are racially diverse. This culture, cultivated to empower all levels of the workforce, proves inclusive leadership is as crucial to the energy industry’s future as a diverse portfolio. n
This Utility Company Is Making a Clean Energy Promise SPONSORED
To reduce emissions, states have begun to call on utilities to meet clean energy targets. Dean Seavers, president of Northeast-based National Grid, talks about his company’s commitment to renewables and its initiatives that will pave the way for a clean energy future. If we look at the energy industry in the rearview mirror, we see a traditional pipes-and-wires model where a utility company restores power after outages, and delivers safe and reliable 4 • FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
electricity and gas to customers. This is our legacy and we continue to deliver that service today, but our customers and the environment around us demand more. We have moved beyond the old utility paradigm into a company focused on innovative solutions that will help us reach a clean energy future. In just 10 years, I envision millions of electric vehicles on Northeast roads, a major shift to renewable resources, and smart grids that give customers choice and control of their energy consumption. A commitment to clean energy National Grid is at the forefront of the clean energy transition. We’re interconnecting more rooftop solar and energy storage,
helping to create electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and investing to turn organic waste into renewable energy. Last year, we released the Northeast 80x50 Pathway, a blueprint for how we and the states we serve (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York) will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050, focusing on heat, power, and especially transportation to meet state clean energy targets.Policymakers in our jurisdictions are now setting more aggressive emissions targets, but the principles of deep decarbonization remain the same. Whether the goal is 80x50 or something more aggressive, we need to foster drastic change now. Over the past decade, we have worked with policymakers,
industry partners, and customers to make the clean energy transition, and we will continue to embrace all solutions. By working together today, we can mitigate some of the effects of climate change for future generations. Other companies can choose — or decline — to participate in the journey to a clean energy future but for us, as a customer-focused energy company, it is required. That is why we have made the clean energy promise and ask everyone in the states we serve and beyond to join us on this journey. You can read more about this in my e-book, The Clean Energy Promise at ngrid.com/cleanenergypromise. n Dean Seavers, President, National Grid
The Future of Cars Is Here, and It’s Electric
Steve Nash Wants to Assist You in Going Green Eight-time NBA All-Star and two-time MVP Steve Nash was as efficient as they come on the hardwood. Now, through the Steve Nash Foundation, he’s trying to get others to be more energy efficient and to reduce their carbon footprint. What advice would you give to homeowners looking to decrease their carbon footprint? There are opportunities for all of us to take small steps to make a difference. I think too often there’s a presumption that meaningful environmental action is inaccessible, that if you can’t put solar on your roof or buy an electric car, there’s no way to contribute to a healthier existence. My advice is to start with looking to see what organizations are working locally on improving energy efficiencies — many states offer subsidies for home improvements that can often pay for a lot of the expense. What has made your experience with solar energy such a success? Is there anything businesses can learn from your experience?
PHOTO: JED JACOBSOHN / THE PLAYERS TRIBUNE
Electric vehicles aren’t coming — they’re here. It’s time to think about securing the infrastructure upon which they rely.
Living in Arizona for as long as I did, solar just made so much sense — using a renewable energy source. And I was very fortunate to be part of an organization like the Phoenix Suns that saw the chance to take a leadership role — the Suns had the first solar arena in the NBA through a pretty innovative and unprecedented partnership with the local power utility company APS. Do you see other sporting venues adopting renewables in the near future? Are there any barriers for adoption we should be aware of? The Golden State Warriors’ new home at Chase Center is on track to earn LEED Gold certification — Rick Welts, Warriors President, was also instrumental in the Suns’ solar project while he was there and understands, along with the environmental factors, the business and financial benefits of renewables. For all the expenses entailed in a project like that, the downstream savings are there, and the environmental positioning matters to more and more of the league’s fanbase. n
If you think of electric vehicles (EVs) as the future of driving, you’re wrong — they’re the present. Last year, total sales of electric vehicles in the United States hit 1 million, and while that number is dwarfed by the sales of old-school gasoline and diesel vehicles, EV sales are rising fast. There are many reasons you should make your next vehicle electric. For one, Manufacturers are increasingly betting on EVs, moving away from conventional and even hybrid vehicles. Electric cars have a lower pollution footprint because electricity generation produces lower emissions than fossil fuels, and electric vehicles save money. Some people hesitate to consider electric vehicles because they worry the infrastructure isn’t in place to support them. The fact is our EV infrastructure is significantly more advanced than you think. The majority of EV owners charge their vehicles at home, where the cost of electricity is the lowest, and companies are increasingly offering charging stations to their employees, as are hotel chains and other public areas. Automobiles revolutionized society a century ago and the nation rose to the challenge. The challenge of electric vehicles is no less dramatic, but we’re already meeting it head on. Jeff Somers
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How the US Stacks up in Energy Effıciency The Energy Transition Index (ETI) ranks countries based on their energy effıciency across several key factors. Here’s how the United States compares to the rest of the world. The ETI clarifies the energy transition debate by benchmarking the energy system performance of 115 countries across three key priorities: energy security and access, environmental sustainability, and economic development and growth. The index identifies a set of enablers that need to be aligned to improve readiness for the transition toward a future energy system that is secure, reliable, sustainable, and affordable. It highlights countries’ comparative strengths and improvement areas, and helps identify policy priorities alongside opportunities and threats to business. The United States ranks 27th out of 115 countries on the ETI 2019. It ranks above other major energy consuming countries like China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Canada, as well as the largest fossil fuel-producing countries. This can be attributed to the recent gains made on energy security, diversification of fuel sources, cost competitiveness, and reliability of supply. However, it still lags behind advanced economies in Europe, primarily on account of high carbon intensity of the fuel mix, high energy consumption per capita, and high carbon emissions per capita. Nevertheless, the United States has strong potential to do better. It has a vibrant innovation ecosystem, capital market depth, and a robust institutional framework, all of which will help facilitate a more effective energy transition. Harsh Vijay Singh, Project Lead, Shaping the Future of Energy Platform, World Economic Forum 6 • FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM
This One Simple Question Will Shape the Future of Energy Climate scientists estimate that without immediate intervention, we’ll feel the worst effects of global warming by 2030. This clean energy solution could be the key to saving the planet. e are faced with a serious question: How do we meet America’s demand for electricity while making the right choices to protect our planet? The leading scientists on climate, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, say we must take immediate action to protect the climate, or else feel the worst effects of global warming by 2030. These experts also say nuclear carbon-free energy can play a critical role in a clean energy future. The nuclear option Faced with this climate challenge, the energy sector is turning toward carbon-free sources like renewables, nuclear power, and carbon-capture technologies. America’s 97 nuclear reactors provide nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity without carbon emissions. In fact, nuclear is the largest source of emissions-free energy in the country, generating 55 percent of the nation’s clean power. Nuclear is an abundant, affordable, and clean energy resource that’s online 24/7/365, making it a perfect pairing with renewables. Its carbon-free electricity combined with wind and solar generates almost 80 percent of the clean energy on today’s
electrical grid. With smart, modernized regulations and policies that equally value carbon-free technologies, that clean energy portfolio could continue to grow.
That clean energy future is in danger. A future threat However, that clean energy future is in danger. Flawed electricity markets threaten the future of existing nuclear plants and the carbon-free electricity generation they produce. We are moving backward if we continue to see nuclear plants shuttered prematurely. Failing to protect the existing nuclear fleet means we are, at best, replacing nuclear with a different carbon-free source, but what actually happens is that fossil fuels replace carbon-free nuclear generation. This makes the clean energy goals we must reach by 2030 nearly impossible. Making a change There is good news. More and more states are recognizing that in order to reduce carbon, they need to protect
and open pathways for all zero-emission energy sources like nuclear, wind, and solar. I’m proud to be a nuclear engineer and to represent our nation’s nuclear energy industry. Nuclear power combats the dangerous effects of climate change. We protect the planet by generating electricity without pollution and nuclear energy serves as a cornerstone of our national security. We are the economic engines for the communities we serve, employing directly and indirectly nearly half a million people across the country. The future of nuclear is innovation. Tech leaders such as Bill Gates and Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, have championed nuclear energy, along with lawmakers across the political spectrum who have supported legislation to advance new nuclear technology. With dozens of new companies working on the next generation of nuclear plant designs, we’re creating a whole suite of options that will help us partner with renewables. Entrepreneurs are creating and piloting small, medium, and large solutions to meet the different and evolving energy needs of communities at home and abroad. ■ Maria Korsnick, President and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute MEDIAPLANET
HOW IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY IS HELPING TO SOLVE GLOBALLY CHALLENGING PROBLEMS In early fall 2017, hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ripped through the Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, wreaking havoc on hundreds of thousands of homes and citizens. In Puerto Rico, Maria decimated their island’s transportation, communication, agriculture and energy infrastructure, leaving residents without power for months. These and other natural catastrophes prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to rank 2017 as the most expensive year on record for U.S. disasters with more than $306 billion in total damage; and that figure doesn’t take into account the long-term and incalculable emotional toll on the people and communities devastated by these events.
infrastructures from natural disasters and human-caused incidents like cyberattacks. As America’s nuclear energy research laboratory, INL is advancing technologies, such as microreactors, that can be quickly and easily deployed to areas suffering from blackouts caused by natural disasters. These portable reactors could one day replace diesel generators as a low-carbon energy source, providing reliable, sustainable power to communities, military bases or industrial processes like removing salt from seawater so people and animals in affected areas can have safe drinking water.
What is INL doing to help prepare for future disasters?
INL also is working closely with federal, state and private organizations to create resilient, secure power-grid technologies that will help communities better withstand natural disasters and reduce vulnerabilities to cyberthreats.
Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are responding to these global issues by exploring solutions in sustainable energy development and protecting our nation’s critical
With a rapidly growing population driving greater demand for reliable, clean energy, INL is committed to impacting the future by improving the quality of life for people around the world.
To learn more about how INL is solving global challenges, visit INL.gov/future
Read more about technologies impacting our energy conservation at futureofbusinessandtech.com