The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “The only constant in life is change.” I often feel that the changes we are seeing today must be the most extreme in the history of the world, and I suspect many of you feel the same way. However, when I consider that Heraclitus was founded in the late 6th century BC. Life is made up of changes.
In the past few weeks I've seen my share of changes. The fact that I am writing this column for T&D World magazine is proof of that.
Some of you may know me from more than 20 years of writing articles and columns for a competition magazine, or maybe you know me because I helped organize DISTRIBUTECH International for many years and spoke there often. I've spent more than 25 years writing articles, attending industry events, and meeting people who literally electrify the world and I loved it. I am excited to continue doing these things in my new role as Vice President of Content for Energy at Endeavor Business Media. I'm certainly not as famous as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, but I can relate the excitement, anticipation, uncertainty, and a hint of sadness that they likely felt as they left the teammates and football organizations they felt so comfortable with and with to which they switched other teams to continue doing what they loved. These steps worked well for her and I am confident that this step will work well for me.
I am very happy to be part of the T&D World team. It is a publication that I have admired and respected for many years. I am also excited to partner with the talented, highly respected, and hardworking men and women who make up Endeavor's energy business. But most of all, I am delighted that I can continue to do what I love – connect with experts and create content that will help inform and train those who grapple with the changes and challenges in the electricity supply industry.
Driver of change in the electricity industry
The electricity industry has seen tremendous change in the last 15 to 20 years, and that change is not slowing down. There is no denying that climate change is real, is accelerating and is wreaking havoc in our world. The need to slow climate change and reverse some of its effects is driving many of the changes in the electricity industry. This industry, as well as many others such as transportation, manufacturing, data mining and processing, construction, and more, are advocating decarbonization. Many have announced their intention to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier. As a result, the race to improve energy efficiency, the electrification of transport, the increased use of renewable energies plus energy storage, and the digitization of devices and systems is in full swing. These efforts are admirable and necessary, but they have turned the electricity industry on its head and created many challenges. Of course, climate change has also had a direct impact on network operators, causing extreme weather events that have put the network's resilience to the test and highlighted its weak points.
Network operators and operators face multidimensional challenges. You need to modernize the grid to make sure it can withstand the forces of nature, incorporate intermittent generation sources, much of which are added at the edge of the grid, and even adapt to load shifts as more employees work from home. Technology change is not enough. To solve these challenges, changes in business, operational and regulatory models are required.
T&D World's strategy for change
For 72 years, T&D World has provided utilities with critical information to help them navigate change and keep electricity flowing, and that's one thing that won't change. T&D World continues to strive to keep you updated on the latest happenings in the industry and to keep you informed of the latest technologies and solutions available. While the written content in the magazine, e-newsletters and on the website has been and remains a primary means of communication for T&D World, it is certainly not the only way to provide you with valuable information. Other media opportunities include webinars, podcasts, and video interviews, as well as in-person events such as the Utility Analytics Institute (UAI). Speaking of UAI, it has just launched an online utility data analysis training program taught by faculty from the University of Oklahoma. So far it has been a hit. For more information on the courses, please visit the UAI website: Utilityanalytics.com.
We also started our recurring online event series Power Up in 2020. We continued it in 2021 and plan to do the same for 2022. All previously featured live online sessions are available upon request. So if you were unable to attend when the live sessions were broadcast, please visit our website for the extensive list of free on-demand webinars that include the power up sessions as well as upcoming sessions.
In addition, we have even more new offers planned for you. We'll be sharing more details on this in the coming weeks and months.
Together with the entire team at T&D World, I am aware that change is constant and that knowledge is an important tool in successfully preparing for and managing change. We see and understand the changes in the power industry and we aim to not only keep you updated and informed, but also provide you with information through various avenues to ensure we meet your needs.
Here, too, I am thrilled to lead the energy content team at T&D World and Endeavor. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can help you.