EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 - (Page 30)

generating resources that not only will meet customers’ demands, but should provide good shareholder return. Meanwhile, I am inspired by business, government and community leaders in our state who are focused on pursuing innovation to create a more sustainable energy future. They are supporting green power initiatives in their cities, investing in more energyefficient facilities and exploring new technologies that create jobs and spur innovation. Communities in north-central Oregon are pursuing more wind projects, while Southern Oregon investigates geothermal and biomass energy and coastal towns explore wave energy. We need leaders at the local, state and national levels to become pioneers in seeking solutions that can help us meet the challenges of our nation’s energy future. I am concerned, however, that we will not be able to capitalize on this future unless we maintain a strong economy with a welleducated workforce. As an educator, this remains my highest priority. Community leaders need to focus their investments in educational and mentoring programs that promote careers in math, science and the utility industry. Encouraging young people to investigate careers in the utility business, and encouraging high schools to incorporate these skills into their education and training programs, is essential to maintaining a healthy industry, economy and community. Clearly, utilities and the communities they serve have many opportunities to work together to build a better energy future. Like the pioneering engineers whose innovative spirit brought electricity to Oregon in the 1800s, we need to make sure the decisions we make today are decisions our children and grandchildren can be proud of for decades to come. M. Lee Pelton, president of Willamette University, serves on the board of Portland General Electric. Pursuit of efficiency CH A NGING CU LTUR ES BY MIk E CHESSER A ND BILL DOW NEY There is no question that energy efficiency is taking hold as a “bridge strategy” that will help utilities span to a time when new generation technologies can move the industry to a more sustainable, less carbon-intensive future. The groundswell is building, as evidenced again recently by the consortium of eight utility companies, including Great Plains energy, that announced the new eei institute for energy efficiency. Many of the current efforts are focused on the right things, like identifying enabling technologies for energy efficiency and pressing for needed changes in the regulatory structure to provide incentives for investment. While those steps are important, just as vital is the need to change mindsets within our own industry. We need a more flexible orientation that embraces energy efficiency in a balanced portfolio with significant collaboration with our customers. We need to think of supply, load and customer preferences in a more dynamic way. changing the cultural orientation is something industry leaders are talking more about as we work to advance energy efficiency. To create the internal engagement and fire needed to achieve our goals, we have to educate, recruit and foster employees who see the important strategic applications of the “first fuel.” inspired leadership throughout the utility value chain is necessary to create and build momentum for this change. While recruiting new proponents for energy efficiency and building expertise is important at the executive and strategy levels, we believe it’s important in every function within a utility. Marketing personnel need to better understand customer behaviors. customer service representatives need to understand how to direct customers toward efficient energy use in their interactions. communications professionals must step outside the box to promote programs that can seem counter-intuitive to those not in our industry. The engineering side of the business must shift thinking as well. next generation smart grid applications represent different technologies and investments than the utility industry has traditionally embraced. We’re also switching to reliance on the actions of our customers during curtailment periods to achieve outcomes. recently, kcP&L hosted a local “energy efficiency Forum” in kansas city. We intentionally invited employees to join us and sit together with outside experts, environmentalists and civic leaders as we discussed in panel format the obstacles and enablers to further adoption of energy efficiency. The employee invitation was not an afterthought. if anything, this is the group that could very well make or break our success. The more they are engaged and understand the importance of the message, the more they will take a personal stake in the success of these programs and work hard to see them through. Our work to build an energy efficiency corporate culture didn’t start with this local forum. in all of our internal communications efforts, we build in key messages on the subject. internal newsletters, employee meetings, new employee orientation sessions – all of these are opportunities to help spread the word and begin to change the culture. Training and recruiting efforts are also important to send the right messages. specific employee energy efficiency initiatives also are important. We’ve encouraged our employees through the “i’m One in a Million” program to trade incandescent bulbs in for a new compact fluorescent bulb. The program gets those in our own ranks who still haven’t tried this simple step to make an effort. Our employees are also given the opportunity to educate outside groups through our speakers bureau presentation, “energy efficiency is everyone’s business.” clearly the time is now. but it will require turning our business on its side and building a culture that supports this new way of doing business. engaging employees as the ambassadors is essential as we position energy efficiency as the right choice for employees, customers and our shareholders. Mike Chesser is chairman and chief executive officer of Great Plains Energy. Bill Downey is president and chief executive officer of its subsidiary, Kansas City Power & Light . 30 E n E rgyB i z November/December 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 Contents Continental Grid Vision Needed Readers’ Views and Opinions Next for National Grid Clearing the Air The Need for Nuclear Energy Trade Status Report The Innovators California On The Leading Edge FERC Sparks Change Getting Coal Right Leadership in Times of Turmoil Innovation Delivers Return A Tale of Two IPOs LNGs Bright Prospects Generation Techologies The Age of Superconductors Leaders with Vision Get Ready for Plug-in Hybrids Betting on Batteries Cost of Decarbonizing Nuclear Helmsman – A chat with Dale Klein, Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Global Energy Snapshot; Low-Income Energy Help; IT Spending Robust; The Greening of State Regulators; Generating Support Simplifying Offshore Wind Regs Chasing Construction Costs Energy Agency Sets New Course Deregulation Means Higher Rates Go-To Staffer Nightmare in Manhatten

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

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