As the EET&D team is working on this issue of the magazine, the world is reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many locations throughout the world are under "Shelter at Home" orders, including Denver, CO, where I live. Regardless of what people are being asked to do to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, everyone is expected to use common sense and be willing to make adjustments to how we live our lives. Some of the more obvious adjustments include improving personal hygiene habits, like washing our hands frequently for at least 20 seconds or keeping at least six feet from those nearest to us at grocery stores or banks.
With so much uncertainty, a lot of people are scared. People who have been furloughed or laid off from their jobs are having to figure out how to make ends meet, and whether this situation will end in as little as two weeks or as long as 18 months.
In response, businesses are coming up with new approaches to daily life. Those that are considered essential operations, like medical facilities and banks must adhere to strict protocols of sanitizing their sites and making sure their employees are keeping the appropriate distance from their colleagues, as well as being safe themselves. Many commercial and residential landlords are not evicting tenants who have lost their jobs and cannot pay their rent. In the electric energy sector, utility companies throughout the United States are suspending service disconnects for the next few months to help customers who are unable to pay their bills.
The spread of COVID-19 has been rapid, with long-lasting effects that we won’t fully realize for months to come. And while the response to the outbreak has not always brought out the best in humanity, it has shown how adaptive and flexible people can be when faced with a crisis.
Companies like HP are using 3-D printers to manufacture face masks and respirators for hospitals and medical professionals. It has been reported that one automobile company may team up with a medical device manufacturer to make ventilators. Many individuals who own sewing machines are creating face masks for frontline health workers. Despite the fear so many may have about what the next months have in store, it is not preventing people from coming up with innovative solutions.
When it comes to electric energy, innovation is nothing new. Case in point is our conversation President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Energy Association Francis Bradley. In this issue’s “Grid Transformation Forum” column, Bradley reminds EET&D readers that the electric energy sector has a culture of innovation. Innovation has brought us the likes of EVs, solar power, IoT and Distributed Energy Resources. It is also innovation that will see industry partners and utility companies guide consumers through this pandemic.
Innovation will continue to play a role in how utilities ensure the safety and security of the electric grid. In his article, Joe Slowik, who is a “principal adversary hunger” for cybersecurity expert Dragos, writes about the role ransomware plays in the utility industry.
In addition to offering a history lesson on ransomware, Slowik points out how, regardless of whatever challenges the energy sector and utilities face, the industry must be prepared to mitigate ransomware and other cyber threats. Even more important is that the electric energy industry must prepare now to mitigate whatever security issues arise down the road – whether they are a threat to one substation or millions of consumers. Slowik does not just mention the threats ransomware pose. He also offers steps utilities can take to prepare for, and stave off those threats.
Communication and best practice-sharing will make it easier for utilities and their customers to rebound from, if not avoid threats to the energy grid. Identifying and developing innovative solutions is another step – bringing us full circle to Francis Bradley with CEA’s belief that innovation will remain a critical component to making sure the electricity sector will survive the most challenging times. Innovative technology and business practices also will ensure a promising future for the industry and those of us who work with or are consumers of electric energy.
And regardless of whether we are in the beginning, peak or flattening phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, those in leadership positions within the utility industry must implement policies to ensure a protected workforce and a resilient electric grid. We have seen how COVID-19 has affected China and Europe, which means we, in North America, have a chance to learn from their successes and mistakes. I hope that by the time this issue goes to press, we will have benefitted from those lessons, and all of us, regardless of our ages or incomes, will emerge from this pandemic, stronger and smarter. However, if we are going to rise from the ashes, we are going to need to be innovative – not only in terms of technology and medicine – but also in how we adapt to connecting, interacting and working together to provide sustainable solutions for our local and global communities.
Elisabeth
