Qui-Gon Jinn, a fictional character in the Star Wars series and a wise protagonist in the 1999 blockbuster, “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” – is credited with the admonition, “How well you focus will determine your reality.” I freely admit to having been intrigued by this phrase from the first time I heard it because even though it was voiced by a fictional character (…a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…), I’ve always felt that it speaks volumes about real life in the here-and-now.
There are lots of scenarios where this theory can be applied – various sports and business analogies come to mind – all concerning the basic notion of visualizing oneself scoring, beating a formidable opponent, advancing to the next level, winning the game… or the bid, the promotion, the job, or whatever. But today I want to focus your attention on the myriad challenges we face today relative to energy, efficiency and environment, both now and in the immediate future.
Yes, these are sometimes polarizing issues, to say the least. However, my objective here is not to suggest radical new theories or take sides, but rather to present a balanced perspective on these issues, which are vitally important not only to our industry and our economy but also many other dimensions of our very existence.
Not so very long ago it was more than a little difficult to get any traction in these areas without being labeled a kook or a radical and ostracized for being “green” (Just ask Kermit the Frog!). Today, however, that has mostly changed as more and more people, companies – even countries – embrace the value and propriety of living, working and yes, even playing in greener, cleaner ways.
Yet in the utility industry many of us are just starting down this still-evolving path and aren’t too sure about where it will lead or how we will even know when we’ve reached our goals, whatever those might be. But, if we drill down to a narrower focus – automation and information technology professionals, for example – we are seeing an increasingly aggressive adoption of green (or “CleanTech,” if you prefer) initiatives all across the industry. Hmm, not really that surprising, I suppose, since these are typically the people and organizations that are routinely charged with blazing new trails and exploring new technological frontiers.
As I read the flood of news releases that comes across my desk daily, I’m seeing nearly as many green initiatives coming from the automation/IT community as I see from the marketplace at large. Now it’s fair to say that as an automation/IT-centric publication, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the scales are tilted, but what I do find a bit surprising is the rate at which these companies are rolling out products and systems designed to facilitate green initiatives.
I probably need to clarify here a bit: What I’m NOT talking about are companies that are just going through the motions of being green without any creativity or innovation. What do I mean by that? Well, I’m sorry, but virtually anyone can put a note on an email urging recipients to “Think Before Printing”, and these days it certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to print with soy-based inks on recycled paper. As a friend of mine likes to say, “That’s so 20th century!” Hey, it is; there’s nothing new or creative or innovative.
By contrast, show me someone that has figured out how to use electric vehicles as a distributed resource with a fully functional communications network and advanced software for managing that resource just as if it were an infinitely distributed power plant – as I learned from FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff’s presentation at the Smart Grid RoadShow in Portland earlier this month – and I’ll be duly impressed!
In this issue, we’re launching a new dimension of “GrEEEn” – the three E’s translating to Energy, Efficiency & Environment – in a supplement included further along in this issue. This special section offers an information-rich sample of what our two GrEEEn issues in April and October of next year will cover.
Our focus for these new issues is broad in the sense of the 3 E’s, but narrow with regard to the relevancy of these topics to electric power transmission and distribution, as represented in the name of this publication. In addition, each issue will have a primary focus, which for this first run, is electric vehicles (EVs).
Had we undertaken this approach five or six years ago, none of it would have made a whole lot of sense – well, at least not in a T&D context. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge (or, should I say, power over the wires?) since the terms “Smart Grid” and “Smart Meter” made their way into our vocabulary. Now that we have 2-way power and 2-way communications flowing in a variety of ways, the rules of the game are very different. Being green is no longer just a cliché; it has rapidly become part of the fabric of what we do, and in many cases, how we do it.
The fact is, it’s actually fairly easy being green these days – we just need to work a little harder at it. And if we do, who knows what we might be able to accomplish? Just remember, “How well you focus will determine your reality.” – Kermie.
