Shaping California’s Smart Grid EMPLOYING THE BEST COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY Published In: EnergyBiz Magazine January/February
2012 THE NATION'S POWER SECTOR is facing unprecedented changes,
ranging from high levels of intermittent loading from renewable
portfolio standards to complex cyber-security threats. New
technology options, such as bulk electricity storage and plug-in
electric vehicles, further complicate matters for power
companies and ratepayers. State and federal policy changes
require changes to the power system, which may ultimately
increase cost and decrease service reliability. Shale gas is
changing the fabric of the energy business, inverting pipeline
flows and investment norms. In addition, water, wind and solar
resources and heat storms will affect investments and operations
as our understanding of global climate change matures. Nowhere
are these challenges more evident than in California, where the
state has adopted many environmental and energy policy goals,
including: - Reducing greenhouse gas