In April, EET&D Magazine Publisher Steven Desrochers and I attended IEEE PES T&D in New Orleans. I know I wasn't the only one there who was thrilled to see so many colleagues in person — especially since the 2020 IEEE PES T&D conference in Chicago was canceled just weeks before it was supposed to take place.

To gear up for the event, we asked Wayne Bishop, Jr. to give a preview of the 2022 IEEE PES T&D in our Q1/Q2 issue. Bishop is a senior member of IEEE and sits on the IEEE PES Governing Board. He also serves as vice president of meetings and conferences for IEEE PES, so we knew he would have the inside track on what to look for this year. As a follow-up in this Q3 issue, Bishop, shares highlights from the 2022 IEEE PES conference, so be sure to read his recap and see photos of the event on page 42.

About three weeks after the IEEE PES ended, it was time to hit the road again for DistribuTECH 2022 in Dallas, TX. The last DTECH conference, which took place in January 2020, wrapped up right before organizations around the world shut down, or requested that their employees work remotely, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

DistribuTECH, considered one of the leading events for the transmission & distribution industry, draws attendees from all over the world. The theme for this year’s DTECH was resilience and innovation, which seems a fitting, way to describe the resolve of industry professionals, during what has been an unusually challenging past two years. Yes, the pandemic interrupted both our personal and professional lives, but it did not disrupt the energy sector’s progress and productivity as evidenced by the thousands of exhibitors at DTECH demonstrating their latest innovations and enhanced solutions.

Events like IEEE PES or DistribuTECH are tangible proof of the dedication of the various utilities, software developers, manufacturers and others in our industry — even during a pandemic. But there are also people working diligently behind the scenes to ensure the industry continues to advance. A great example of this is a recent project that SmartMark Communications initiated with some of their utility clients.

Earlier this year, SmartMark, in partnership with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), the Environmental Protection Agency and UL Solutions, announced that BGE’s smart home solution received the first-ever Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) ENERGY STAR® certification.

The team used a Z-wave hub, ENERGY STAR® certified thermostat and lighting, smart plugs and sensors, in coordination with a hands-on educational support program to ensure customers understood and could easily be engaged with the technology.

According to SmartMark CEO Juliet Shavit, setting this solution apart from the others were two key differentiators — one, that a utility drove the solution and optimized its AMI data to measure use and validate energy reduction, and two, customer education was as critical to the solution as the technology itself.

SmartMark was responsible for designing and managing the technology demonstration as part of BGE’s Connected Communities program, analyzing the role educated and empowered consumers have in demand-side management. Check out the article on page 46, which takes us inside the certification process and experience, with reflections from SmartMark, BGE and EPA.

Collaborations like the one between SmartMark and BGE do not just happen. Instead, they require industry partners to forge and then maintain solid relationships with each other. Such collaboration is another example of endeavors happening behind the scenes that have a far-reaching impact on the utility sector.

The relationship between Sensus, a Xylem brand, and West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative is also an example of how established partnerships can benefit all of those involved, along with their customers or end-users. About five years ago, West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative deployed a remotely-managed resilient infrastructure from Sensus.

This past December, when a tornado ripped through West Kentucky leaving in its wake devastating destruction, followed by power outages, Xylem sent out a team of experts to assess the communication network and see if it had survived the tornado. The West Kentucky co-op knew they could call upon the Xylem team to troubleshoot the communication network and mitigate any damage it may have sustained. Because the communication network weathered the storm, the co-op was able to identify where they needed to focus their restoration efforts.

The co-op was relieved to know their investment in a reliable communication network paid off, but it was the comfort in knowing they could call upon count on their industry partner to respond quickly at such a critical time that made all the difference. And because there was a relationship already in place with their services provider, the co-op was able to spend their time getting the power back on for their members.

Whether responding to a relentless pandemic, reacting to or recovering from natural disasters or preparing for the next phase of grid modernization, professionals representing all aspects of the electric energy space continue to demonstrate their commitment to stabilizing and securing the electric grid. And as a result, anyone who consumes electric energy reaps the long-term benefits of that perseverance and effort — or what some of us refer to as resilience and innovation.

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