IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2018 - 4

from the editor

Michael Henderson

bridging the gap
dialogue between engineers & social scientists

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2017.2769518
Date of publication: 5 January 2018

ieee power & energy magazine

Footage Firm, inc.

The Nobel Prize CommiTTee
recently recognized richard Thaler for
his contributions to behavioral economics. his work shows that people do not
necessarily make "rational economic decisions," but rather economists must consider psychological factors.
The focus of engineers needs to
expand beyond just solving problems!
We should understand the motivations
of our customers to fully comprehend
the future types and patterns of energy consumption and production. The
transition to a smarter, greener grid
involves much more than the laws
of economics. Customer motivations
include their basic values, responsiveness to social pressures, and willingness to utilize new or different ways
of consuming and producing electricity.
Similarly, the acceptability of proposed
siting decisions encompasses much
more than a simple quid pro quo of
developer payments to local communities in exchange for permission to build
electric power facilities.
many of us have experienced
"NimbY" (not in my backyard), while
others have been subjected to "bANANA" (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone). These attitudes
may be with good reason once we take
the time and trouble to understand specific oppositions to projects. People may
emotionally adore their current landscape
and want it to remain free of industrial
development, regardless of lost benefits

in the form of payments. The emotional
response may be considered irrational,
but it is real nonetheless.
Understanding customer motivations
and how they respond to industry initiatives remain critical to their success. Too
often engineers rationalize and predict
outcomes without accounting for emotional and other factors that may be vital
to the success of policies and projects.
All too often we suffer from the effects
of unintended consequences because of
misconceptions about the end-use acceptability of policies and projects. (For
example, i am often surprised when people in the viewshed of wind farms do not
share my aesthetic appreciation of their
utilitarian beauty.)

In This Issue
This unique issue of IEEE Power &
Energy Magazine seeks to bridge the
gap and encourage dialogue between
electric power professionals and social
scientists who provide key insights into
our customer base. our guest editors
compiled five well-written articles that
challenge the usual way most electrical
power system professionals think about
our industry. As summarized in the
"Guest editorial," our issue identifies
key behavioral factors that must be considered by engineers and ways that we
should respond to customer concerns.
The "in my View" column discusses
empowering people to facilitate the transition to a more environmentally friendly
january/february 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2018