With apologies to Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin’ in the electric utility industry. Of course, they have been changing for some time now. And we are still waiting for the widespread appearance of “real-time” pricing in our industry. Funny how those who predicted such change in the early 2000s failed to understand that price discovery requires improved information flows. Improved, frequently-read information flows require advanced metering. And advanced metering requires millions upon millions of dollars. And it takes time to build a consensus, both in our organizations and in our communities, that those budgets require.

So, here we are at a tipping point.

We are seeing more and more AMI systems deployed across our industry. It is no longer a project that only the largest utility systems can implement. Our industry is awash in data and the flows are increasing exponentially. Renewable generation continues to take market share and electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to accelerate; load management has also gotten more complex over the past 10 to 15 years and will only continue to do so over time. The intermittent nature of renewable generation, the growing variable loads of EV’s and the lack of cost-effective battery storage will make for a very interesting and challenging future.

That is where all this new AMI data comes into play. For the most part, our industry has done a great job of harnessing the value of these new data flows. Integration into billing systems has obviously been a priority. Real-time data flows have enabled significant improvement in system operations and efficiencies, but as an industry, we have failed to take full advantage of efficiency opportunities presented by giving our customers better, more timely consumption data. When we give customers their data, it is often complex and not very useful for residential customers, or too simple and not very helpful for large commercial and industrial customers.

To be honest, if anyone tells you they know exactly what customers want to see, they are lying!

The fact is, the industry doesn’t have enough experience sharing this data with customers. So, as you move forward with these types of projects, it is important to choose a partner with tools that are flexible and adaptable to you and your customers’ needs. After 20 years of developing these tools, we like to think we have a pretty good idea of what people want, but even we are surprised every day. As a result, we have built frameworks that allow us to fit your requirements. Ten years ago, no one needed to present solar data, and certainly not to residential customers. Can you imagine the need for EV charging data going forward? We know rate designs will change to reflect this new environment but how will you communicate that to your customers to help them optimize their consumption? It is time to start planning. Automated Energy Inc., welcomes the opportunity to visit with you. Reach out to speak to one of our energy experts and start planning today.