In March, I wrote about the uncertainty utility providers and consumers around the world were facing because of COVID-19. At the time, the United States was just beginning to adopt policies to address the pandemic.
Without a consensus among state and federal leaders on the severity of the virus, medical professionals, schools and businesses had to figure out quickly how best to connect with their employees, customers, industry partners and countless others while practicing social distancing. On top of this, they had to adjust their daily operations to provide the tools necessary so their staff members who interacted in-person with customers or co-workers could do their job safely and efficiently.
In that column, I wrote that I believed innovation and resourcefulness would play key roles in getting the electric energy industry through the pandemic. I also surmised that communication and best practice-sharing would make it easier for utilities and their customers to rebound from the pandemic and its impact on the energy grid.
Here we are, six months later, and based on the information presented in this issue of EET&D Magazine, the electric energy sector has indeed demonstrated an abundance of resourcefulness and innovation in its response to the pandemic. Following is a sampling of adaptability and innovative approaches utilities and industry partners have taken over the past several months to address electric energy during the pandemic and beyond.
Quick response through adaptation
When the stay-at-home order was first mandated, New England-based energy provider Eversource took immediate action to protect its staff and customer base of nearly four million. In this issue’s Grid Transformation Forum, Tilak Subrahmanian and Frank Gundal from Eversource describe how they adjusted their operations promptly when the shelter-in-place order was issued. Once the order was lifted, Eversource had to make additional adjustments to their safety guidelines and protocols to ensure they met their customers’ energy needs while safeguarding fieldworkers and those involved with onsite operations remained safe.
Remote management
Bill Moore, who is the founder and CEO of Annapolis-based Xona, writes about the impact the pandemic had on the way we conduct business. As Moore explains, “People’s daily lives were transformed virtually overnight as businesses closed their doors and remote work became the default arrangement for hundreds of millions of employees.”
Currently, more employees are returning to work, but chances are a hybrid workforce, consisting of those who work remotely, and those who work on-site or in the field, will become commonplace—not just in the energy sector— but across all industries.
Moore makes a case for remote operations, while also identifying considerations companies should keep in mind so that those changes they make are effective and sustainable. One of the key takeaways from Moore’s article is that organizations that did not yet have processes in place for remote operations were at a significant disadvantage when the pandemic took hold. Quoting an assessment of COVID’s impact on the energy sector, Moore reminds us that the pandemic should serve as a catalyst to future work processes by “rethinking how and where work is done and accelerating adoption of automation and digital capabilities”.
In “A Three-Part Guide to Remote Utility Management Through the Pandemic and Beyond,” Mike McGann, vice president of Sensus, Americas, writes about the perseverance and ingenuity that many utilities showed during the shelter-in-place order. Building on Bill Moore’s point about the shift towards a hybrid workforce of remote and on-site employees, McGann explains how, with more employees working remotely, combined with greater adoption of video conferencing platforms to connect with colleagues in real-time, businesses must remain invested in technology that allows them to operate remotely.
McGann’s guidelines for utilities is not a daunting list of financial investments utilities must make to improve their ability to ramp up remote operations. Instead, his is a common-sense approach that, if followed, will allow for a smoother transition to remote operations. That way, the next time there is an event that requires social distancing or telecommuting, utilities will be prepared.
Demand response
Just as Mike McGann offers guidelines for deploying processes for long-term remote operations, Erika Diamond with EnergyHub talks about steps utilities should consider taking to meet their demand response goals. With more consumers working from home while the shelter-in-place orders were in effect, utilities saw changes in peak loads, which meant they had to juggle higher peak loads more frequently.
Diamond points to Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) as a way to manage residential demand response. Calling upon her company’s experience with DERs, Diamond lists five steps to help utilities “just starting on their journey to draw value from DERs.” Diamond expects that if utilities follow these steps, they will see improved engagement and deeper relationships with their customers.
Learning from experience
The pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on our collective psyche and our global economy. It is likely the pandemic will continue to impact our daily lives, and the reality is, we may not return to life exactly as it was before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Uncertain as to what was in store, utilities got to work, identifying both short- and long-term solutions to keep their employees and customers safe, while also mitigating disruption of the grid. The articles in this Q4 issue represent some of the most compelling strategies and lessons-learned while sheltering-in-place. These same solutions can be leveraged to guide the industry through whatever unknown disaster may strike in the future.
If you would like to contribute an article or if you have an idea about interesting technology, solutions, or suggestions, please email me at: Elisabeth@ElectricEnergyOnline.com
Elisabeth
