
PG&E President Shares Vision Of Interconnected Energy Grid
Dec 3, 2014 - PRNewswire
The
electric grid of the future is the platform that enables continued gains for clean-energy
technology and the nation's economy as a whole, said Chris Johns, President
of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), at an event today on Capitol
Hill. Johns joined a panel of energy experts at the event, sponsored by the
Bipartisan Policy Center, to discuss grid modernization for the 21st century.
In his opening remarks, Johns said PG&E embraces the emerging technologies
in energy—including rooftop solar, electric vehicles and smart appliances—and
envisions the grid connecting them in ways that make them far more valuable for
customers.
He called it the Grid of Things™, likening it
to the concept of the "internet of things," in which
technologies from across the spectrum, from health care to homes to energy, are
interconnected. "The Grid of ThingsTM will integrate
all of the new energy-related technologies that are being developed," Johns said, "in a way that gives our customers maximum flexibility,
maximum choice in how they use energy, and ultimately maximum value."
Johns refuted predictions that current trends in energy would bring about the
demise of the century-old electric grid. Instead, he said, PG&E sees the "democratization
of the grid."
"We're
going to discover that these energy technologies are tremendously more powerful
and more valuable if they're wired together through the grid," Johns
said, "which means the grid is not only going to continue to be
relevant, it's going to be just as indispensable over the next 100 years as it
was in the last 100—maybe even more so."
PG&E has a unique perspective on the changes taking
place in technology. The utility's service area in Northern and Central
California is home to the world's leading tech companies; California's
clean-energy policies are among the most progressive in the nation; and the
state's rooftop solar installations and electric vehicle sales outpace all
other states.
PG&E has been an innovation leader as well. Over the
past several years, for example, the utility has invested in improvements to
make the grid more resilient, flexible and reliable. To ensure the grid is
capable of meeting the evolving needs of customers, more investments are
needed, Johns said, in both traditional infrastructure such as wires and
switches, as well as information technology. Johns also emphasized the need
for utilities to seek partnerships with emerging players in the energy sector,
and he stressed the need for federal and state policies that encourage
innovation while ensuring the continued safety, reliability and affordability
of the service that utilities provide to their customers.
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