EnergyBiz - Sept/Oct 2009 - (Page 56)
» TEChnOLOGy FROnTiER nature — think north american electric reliability Corp. standards, e-mail spam management and running the nightly bill process. although these are important responsibilities, they compete for time and attention against the more exciting and value-added portions of the job — namely, the implementation of new technologies that improve the efficiency of the business. at gridPoint, Carlson will be closer to the transformative and innovative and less involved with administrative issues that detract from his true passions. so, what does all of this mean for the industry? Will the loss of more than 100 years of utility and technology experience have an adverse affect on the industry, or will it help to usher in new people with new perspectives who may have new ways of solving both new and old problems? the jury will be out on that topic for quite some time, but business and it alignment, project management and use of new technologies will be the areas most likely to be impacted. When it comes to aligning it with the business needs and managing large and complex technical projects that span multiple jurisdictions and technology platforms, there is no substitute for experience. Utilities will be challenged to ensure that vital needs are met, while simultaneously grooming new Cios. on the other hand, nothing gives new life like a new perspective. Space-based solar power systems beam energy to earth stations. Couresty of NASA launching Space power BeaminG doWn solar // By salvatore salamone This sprinG, pacific Gas & elecTric asked California state regulators for permission to sign a power purchase agreement with startup solaren for up to 200 megawatts of solar power that would be beamed to earth from space. the proposed 15-year contract calls for the power collected by an orbiting space solar power plant to be transmitted by microwaves to an earth receiving station in Fresno. there the energy would be converted to electricity and fed into Pg&e’s power grid. Conceptually, a system of this type is highly appealing. it involves placing a large solar array in an orbit above the atmosphere where it can collect significantly more solar energy and does not suffer from weather-related downtime or nightfall, as is the case with land-based systems. September/October 2009 “this gives us the ability to do advanced purchase contracts for baseload energy, energy that utilities can rely on for predictable month-to-month energy generation,” said gary spirnak, Ceo of solaren. such systems have been proposed and studied for many years. according to industry sources, nasa and the U.s. Department of energy have spent $80 million during the past 30 years while researching the concept. in the last year, activity in this arena has heated up. the Japan aerospace exploration agency conducted ground tests of prototypes of several components of such a system. the agency aims to put in orbit a solar-power generator that will transmit one gigawatt of energy to earth by 2030. 56 E n E rgyB i z
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