SMUD Solar: A Roadmap For Utilities in Transition

摘要

There is near universal agreement that the utility sector is in the midst of a transformation. The 100-year-old model of centralized generation and one-way power flow is being disrupted by alternative energy technologies that enable customers to generate and store their own electricity. Recent surveys of utility executives confirm the conclusion that traditional utility business models need to change as a result of these (and other) disruptive forces. New technologies, renewable portfolio standards, and federal carbon regulations have created a minefield of issues and challenges for the electric utility industry. As incumbent utilities grapple with the daunting challenge of reinventing themselves, the pioneering work at Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) provides a credible foundation from which to construct a new-age road map for utilities going forward. Methods and strategies employed by SMUD in the 1990s and 2000s can help utilities of all types successfully navigate this disruptive transition to a clean energy future.