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JOB CENTER
How Essential is the Smart Grid?
Utility companies generate, transmit and distribute energy to consumers. This can be done more efficiently, cost-effectively and remain sustainable by designing an electric system that integrates smart devices, critical data and two-way communication between the utilities and the consumer-Smart Grid. Many argue that Smart Grid is no capable enough to significantly reduce the excessive T&D energy losses. And some argue that the reduction is quite uneconomical compared to the cost ...
Management In Real Life: Improving Performance: The Five-Step Plan
When we go to a doctor for a health problem, the doctor will ask a few questions, poke us where it hurts, and often write a prescription for whatever ails us. In a few days, all will be well again. If the doctor doesn't bother to examine us, and simply prescribes the same treatment for everyone, we head for a second opinion. With no examination, how would the doctor diagnose ...
Doing More With Less: Paying for Performance in the New Economic Reality
The "great recession" of 2008-2009 has resulted in unprecedented cost-cutting actions for most organizations - especially cuts related to compensation. The issue of how economic conditions have impacted overall compensation costs (and how to effectively manage those costs) has painted 2009 and 2010 as a period like no other in recent memory. To help companies best align pay and performance so employers and employees benefit, this article explores the traditional ...
Meeting the Energy Needs of Large Business Customers: Results from a large market research study
Large businesses are sophisticated energy consumers and they expect a correspondingly high level of service from their energy providers. Utility account representatives know that providing reliable energy and an accurate bill -- the basics -- are essential, but that great service requires more. Beyond the basics, what should utilities and account representatives prioritize to have the biggest positive impact on customer satisfaction? To answer this question E Source conducted the ...
Inducing Private Investment for Grids
There has been much discussion about the need for increased transmission capability and the so-called smart grid. The need has been framed in terms of repair of deteriorating infrastructure, energy independence and security, and economic competitiveness. There is agreement that grid development would help meet the goals of carbon reduction and climate change damage modification, yet there has been relatively little successful activity. The intent of this article is to ...
Nurturing a New Manager
Executive coaching creates opportunities to work with senior leaders who present an interesting mix of strengths, experience and opportunities for development. Quite different -- but just as interesting -- is coaching with executives taking on their first management role. In preparing to work with these clients, it helps to understand how the world looks to people making this early career step, and how we as bosses, mentors or coaches can ...
Improve Business Customer Satisfaction with Strategic Planning
Creating strategic account plans is considered an account management best practice for businesses in any industry. Yet results from the 2009 E Source Account Management Assessment -- a recently conducted online survey of utility account management departments regarding the structure, communications, systems, processes, and strategic approaches used in managing business customers of all sizes --showed that only slightly more than half (59 percent) of utilities are creating individual strategic account ...
Smart Forecasting for a Smarter Grid
Most successful smart metering programs focus on business process management to maximize benefits (e.g., operational improvements) enabled by an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Improved data visibility, frequency, and quality enabled by AMI technologies, can enhance future-state business processes and allow the utility to truly reach the expectations of the large investment they are making. Smart metering is much more than the limited implementation of AMI networks and advanced, digital two-way ...
Life After 40: Suppliers Anxious to Support Life Extension Initiatives for Aging Nuclear Power Plants
With the world's electricity demand continuing to grow, and with the desire to reduce the world's emission output from traditional fossil fuel plants, countries are turning to new renewable energy sources and to nuclear power to meet that demand. It is clear that the new renewable energy sources by themselves will not be sufficient to meet the demand. Because new nuclear power plants currently on the drawing board will not ...
The Potential for Rechargeable Electric Municipal Public Transportation
The official worldwide history of electrically powered public transportation began in the year 1890 when electric trams and electric streetcar replaced horse drawn trams and streetcars. Electrically powered subway trains subsequently replaced steam hauled subway trains in London, UK. The construction and introduction of New York City's electrically powered subway trains soon followed. Electrically powered trams, streetcars, suburban rail systems, light rail systems and subway trains plus electric trolleybuses provide ...
