Over the past 10 years, the top five extreme weather events, including hurricanes, flooding, tornados, and droughts, have cost the country over $527B or over half-a-trillion dollars, according to NOAA.(1) Each natural disaster puts electric utility companies on the front lines to keep the electric infrastructure up and the lights on. Carla Fleming, Chief Mission Officer for Renewable Marketing, and Marketing Director for Leaders in Energy, will moderate the panel discussion “Building a Resilient Energy Infrastructure for the Future,” co-hosted by Leaders in Energy, American Public Power Association (APPA) and Business Radar. The panel will explore how utilities respond to weather challenges. Policy options and business opportunities for the integration of microgrids and distributed generation, technology changes, and conventional power jobs will be discussed. The event will be held at the APPA facility in Crystal City, VA, from 6-8 p.m.
Global investment in renewable energy surged to $207B, up 17%, in 2014, according to the United Nations Environment Program. In the U.S., investment in renewables topped $38.3B. However, with these new sources of energy come new challenges. Communities are placing new requirements on electric utilities to integrate renewables into the infrastructure. Utilities are beginning to experiment with how to add microgrids and distributed power to the equation while grappling with the long-term impact their addition will have on the national grid cost structure. Electric utilities must also determine the role technology will have in meeting augmented demand. At the same time, the workforce is primed for a transition with employees reaching retirement age in the next 3-5 years, creating new opportunities for conventional power jobs. The speakers are:
- Christopher Strong, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office,
- Michael Hyland, Senior Vice President, Engineering Services at the American Public Power Association (APPA),
- Carolyn Slaughter, Director of Environmental policy with the American Public Power Association (APPA), and
- Deepak Swamy, President and CEO of Business Radar.
Register for the event before August 14 when the Early Bird pricing ends. If you can’t attend the event, follow the Live Tweeting on Twitter using #LEXtreme.
(1.) NOAA, “Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Table of Events”, 2014.
Carla A. Fleming is the Founder and Chief Strategist for Renewable Marketing, a marketing strategy firm. Contact us today to set-up a 30-minute Discovery Session and learn how we can help you cultivate your business.
