When I first went to work in our industry, annual electric load growth was around eight percent. We were always building something – generation and transmission mostly (kept those distribution people on a tight budget, never knew why). The strategy was simple, invest big, build big, collect the return on invested capital and then build even bigger!
But those days are gone. The U.S. Energy Information Administration tells us that we’ll be around one percent growth for the next decade or so. So, how are we going to make money? Well, right now we’re rebuilding the infrastructure. Lines, plants, phasing out coal.
But that activity won’t last forever. Where are we headed 10 or 15 years down the road?
About the Author
Paul Mauldin
Contributing Editor
Paul Mauldin has worked in the energy industry for more than 25 years, developing and implementing advanced energy technologies. As research director for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., he pioneered methodologies used in the design, maintenance and control of energy delivery systems. As a consultant, he has provided guidance to utilities and the vendor community, nationally and internationally. Mauldin holds BSEE and MSEE degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and is a registered professional engineer.
