by Bob Shively, Enerdynamics President and Lead Instructor

Utilities are often criticized for being too conservative and living in the past rather than innovating to meet the future. With recent controversies over solar net metering, opposition to energy efficiency programs in some states, and opposition to the EPA’s Clean Air program, it would be easy to assume that utilities are determined to use lobbying clout to craft regulatory rules that will keep them comfortable in their historic way of doing business. But industry observers who believe this may be missing the true story.

Utility Dive recently surveyed over 400 utility executives for the State of the Electric Utility 2015 survey (available for download here).

Included in the study’s finding is the following:

It is illuminating to note that the three central generation technologies (natural gas peaking units, environmental upgrades, and carbon capture and storage) are at the bottom of this list. Meanwhile, renewables and “future grid” technologies such as storage, energy efficiency, demand response, and microgrids are popular. If utility executives indeed act on their convictions, we may see a more rapid transformation of our traditional centralized grid than many observers have envisioned.