Elisabeth Graffy, Arizona State University professor and ASU LightWorks co-director of energy policy, law and governance co-wrote an article about the impact of solar installations to energy markets and electric utilities.
The article, “Does Disruptive Competition Mean a Death Spiral for Electric Utilities,” was an effort of Graffy and Steven Kihm, director of market research and policy for the Energy Center of Wisconsin. Read the article in the Energy Law Journal.
Graffy and Kihm note in their article that the recent surge in rooftop solar installations will create a new space for innovation in energy markets as well as competition for energy utilities. The article explores many areas of this issue including: the significance of disruptive competition, how electric utilities are responding to a growing solar industry, and ways to adapt to a competitive market. In a sector that is central to social, economic, security, and environmental necessities, Graffy and Kihm note that utilities must change in order to confront competition. Both write that leaders in this environment will succeed only by shifting focus on strategies that “create value for customers and that demonstrate nimble responsiveness to the broader contextual demands on energy systems, perhaps particularly during a time of rapid change.”
Click here for a segment from the Devil's Advocates 07/01/2014 podcast in which both Graffy and Kihm are interviewed.
The published journal has been referenced in The Hill, a newspaper published from Washington D.C., as well as in Forbes magazine. The links for these two stories are below in the Additional Information section.
Written by Gabrielle Olson, ASU LightWorks
Additional Information:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/06/17/utilities-could-go-the-way-of-the-streetcar/
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/209203-carbon-controls-and-a-solar-surge-are-public-attitudes-changing-the-game