When we survey members or I moderate utility panel discussions, hot topics tend to surface. Looking toward 2021, there is still uncertainty about how the pandemic will impact utility operations. This affects crew schedules, office accessibility for customers and staff, and supply chain logistics for equipment.
Consumer-owned utilities are well-positioned to know what their customer-owners expect of them regarding options for electricity generation, new energy services such as enhanced energy efficiency, management of power loads, an ability to charge electric vehicles, or use of new customer interfaces that are web and app-based to manage their account and energy use. Utilities tend to have large long-term investments in their infrastructure, so it can take time to plan, invest, and implement this industry change effectively.
The cost and adequacy of the power supply a concerns. State and federal climate change policies tend to mandate generation from variable sources with less ability to adjust to hour-by-hour power demands. Other issues are adequate transmission to deliver power where it is needed, expansion of power markets, equitable pricing policies, and the rate at which new battery or other energy storage technology is developed. Electricity remains one of the toughest commodities to store in large volume, with important exceptions, such as water stored behind dams. That plays an important role in managing system stability in the West.