The Canadian Electricity Association (the association of all Canadian electric utilities) recently launched a new program, Sustainable Electricity .
Sustainable Electricity comprises the following four elements:
A Policy for Sustainable Development – Corporate Responsibility – CEA member utilities have committed to implementing the program’s policy, operationalized by key guiding principles which form the basis of the program.
Performance Indicators and Reporting – Each of the guiding principles is supported by specific indicators and metrics that will be used track overall industry sustainable development performance. Utilities will report on the performance of these key indicators, and overall industry results on sustainable development will be published in an annual report to stakeholders.
Public Advisory Panel – A Public Advisory Panel, made up of distinguished and qualified Canadians, will provide independent opinion and advice to the CEA Board of Directors on the implementation of, and improvements to, Sustainable Electricity.
External Verification – The implementation of Sustainable Electricity will be verified by an independent external verifier.
I think this is a serious intent (with performance measurement and accountability) to increase the triple bottom-line. It’s also coherent with smart grid initiatives.
For the first 60 years of the computer revolution, much of the attention of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs has been on helping to make PEOPLE more productive. In the next phase, one of the important roles of IT will be to make RESOURCES more productive
(source: BusinessWeek)
According to a recent report by the CD Howe institute, (see Green energy dollars wasted? in the Toronto Star), we better invest in the former, not the latter. Here is the report.
“The smart-grid vision is nice; we all have our color PowerPoint slides, I think people kind of get the vision by now. Now it’s time to get stuff done.”
- Don Von Dollen, manager of intelligent-grid research at EPRI.
2009 will be the year of the Smart Grid . Recent activities suggest that we have reached the tipping point:
General Electric and Google teamed- up joined to push for better federal and state policy to enable the grid and organized a public event, “Plug In to the Smart Grid“.
An article in the Technology Review shows how smart-grid technology is a necessary condition for green tech and renewable energies.
As the Toronto Star reported this morning, Cleantech spending is crucial. A new report, the 2009 OCETA SDTC Cleantech Growth & Go-to-Market Report (at http://cleantechnologyreport.ca) outlines the commercial opportunities for Cleantech in Ontario. The report can be downloaded here.
A few facts and figures:
The Clean Technology sector is an important source of global economic growth and job creation.
Clean technologies and products reduce or eliminate ecological impacts, provide superior performance and use fewer resources.
Global demand for clean technology solutions is currently estimated at $US 1 trillion annually.
Canadian demand for clean technology solutions is currently estimated at $35 billion annually.
6,000 Canadian firms employing 250,000 people provide innovative clean solutions that generate economic and environmental benefits to customers around the world.
North American venture capital investment in clean technology reached $3.5 billion in 2006 representing 45% growth over 2005.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is investing $1.05 billion in Canadian clean technology companies.
Ontario has invested $3 billion in research and innovation, and has committed a further $1.15 billion to transform Ontario into an innovation and clean technology based economy.
Many clean technology companies are led by CEOs whose backgrounds are science or engineering focused.
Canada ranks 13th out of 17 developed countries in commercializing technology innovations.
The size of the Canadian market is small and domestic clean technology companies must sell their innovations to global markets for long-term success.
Ontario-based clean technology must develop greater capacity to effectively market and sell their innovations.
Overall, this is a good indication that the time is ripe for what Bill Gates called “creative capitalism” A triple bottom-line, win-win economic structure, where innovation is fueled by environmental and social concerns. There is a tremendous opportunity there, and the following years will determine who will be the leader of the “Green Revolution” (unless it turns out to be a “Green Bubble”)
The Ontario Smart Grid Forum released yesterday on the economics of Smart Grid in Ontario Enabling Tomorrow’s Electricity System a report and call to action for a “co-ordinated effort to increase reliability, develop economic opportunities and promote environmental sustainability through smart grid technologies.” The forum concluded that, although Ontario is going in the good directions, it’s not going fast enough. The powers that be are invited to:
– develop requirements for and propose sufficient monitoring of distribution connected generation,energy storage, and responsive load;
– determine the authority necessary to direct the operation of these facilities, the conditions under which their operation could be directed and any compensation that would be provided to the facility;
– propose contractual and pricing arrangements with distribution connected generation, energy storage, and responsive load that support efficient grid operations and are consistent with the operation of the wholesale electricity market;
– coordinate the development and implementation of grid control and information systems to facilitate the actions listed above.
The energy consulting market is forecast to increase at a CAGR of 8.3% through 2011, the growth of which will outpace that of the overall global consulting marketplace. The needs for consulting within the energy industry are both significant and varied. The most forcible trends currently impacting the industry include: business model alignment, determination of future energy mix, acceleration of major capital projects and “run for the resources.”
Working in a Management Consulting firm (SBR Global), I blog
about organizations, decision-making and energy. My background includes
cognitive science, economics and philosophy of science.
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