John McDonald, Author at Utility Analytics Institute

Technology Grid

Valuable new data sources for utilities

New data sources for power utilities continue to emerge, a trend that is likely to continue in the digital age. Whether these new data sources can and will be harnessed by utilities for significant value, however, remains an…

John McDonaldJanuary 7, 2019

Technology Customer Grid Strategy

How the utility can do more than just light up the town

The best way to your customers may be through the front doors of City Hall. In the late 1990s, I was working with a cable company that was deeply invested in selling high speed data services to the…

Carol StimmelJanuary 2, 2019

Strategy

Do you really want your utility to be data-centric?

It is absurd to think that there is a single modernized utility that doesn’t derive some significant value from analyzing data. Without data and its analysis, it’s impossible to improve customer segmentation for improved demand-response targeting, revenue protection,…

Carol StimmelDecember 20, 2018

Asset & Workforce

Predictive maintenance improves asset efficiency for the energy industry

Predictive maintenance growth in North American markets a result of high potential for ROI and operational benefits. Equipment manufacturers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, and power and process plant owners and operators for the energy industry commonly…

Dr. Sean OttoDecember 18, 2018

Technology

Analytics are at core of non-wires alternatives projects

Analytics are essential from the get-go for non-wires alternatives (NWA) projects to succeed. NWA are gaining popularity in utilities, so much so that E4theFuture funded a study by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and the Peak Load…

Jill FeblowitzDecember 14, 2018

Grid

Smarter Grid, Smarter City

Smart grid will be the leading edge of revolutionary new electric grid capabilities soon to be launched to achieve a set of key environmental and sustainability goals. Next year PGE will begin building three smart grid test beds…

Maria PopeDecember 11, 2018

Customer Strategy

Xcel Energy and Google collaboration indicates a shift in how utilities are serving customers

Brett Carter, executive vice president and Chief Customer & Innovation Officer at Xcel Energy discusses the company's partnership with Google. Brett Carter, executive vice president and Chief Customer & Innovation Officer at Xcel Energy The internet has changed…

Sandi JoralemonDecember 6, 2018

Strategy

A good utility data scientist? More than some experience required

A background in data science versus a background in utilities? How can utilities hire the right people for their analytics initiatives? Nearly every utility has a data analytics initiative today, or at least the beginnings of one. Like…

Carol StimmelDecember 4, 2018

Technology Grid

The transition from power-line carrier

Comanche Electric Cooperative moves to the next generation of advanced metering infrastructure communications with real-time visibility into the grid. Nov 26, 2018 As technology companies pioneered new mobile applications such as email and web browsing on phones and…

Chad ForemanNovember 30, 2018

Grid Asset & Workforce Customer

New uses of smart meter data are coming to utilities

It is that time again. FERC just published a paper that has been on my night stand every year at this time since 2006: the Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering. The original economic justification for smart…

Jill FeblowitzNovember 28, 2018

Technology Sponsored

Advanced grid analytics program integrates energy theft

The “adapter-free” integration feature found in the new software version eliminates the need for most custom adapters to deploy metering analytics ATLANTA, GA. – Nov. 15, 2018 – Landis+Gyr (LAND.SW) has released version 5.1 of its Advanced Grid…

Sandi JoralemonNovember 27, 2018

Grid Technology

Arrowhead Cooperative Uses Data Analytics to Pinpoint Meter Issues

Arrowhead Cooperative combined data from three grid modernization technologies to pinpoint and prioritize load control receivers that need maintenance. Like many electric cooperatives in the United States, Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Inc. employees have at their fingertips the power of…

Yusef Orest & Nathan GrahlNovember 19, 2018