Electric Vehicles
Fifty-four percent of Americans who do not currently own an electric vehicle are interested in purchasing one in the future. However, 64 percent cite the purchase price as a significant barrier to ownership, according to a survey.
Electricity Markets
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas on May 8 issued a request for proposals for up to 500 megawatts of demand response capacity for this summer.
Customer Service
Utilizing omnichannel communication systems can help ensure customers stay in the know and also help utilities respond to the many outage-related calls and emails from customers. When Hurricane Florence hit in September 2018, wreaking damage in the Carolinas, Duke Energy sent customers over 7 million messages enabled by Message Broadcast.
Generation
In a May 9 letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the American Public Power Association detailed its support of four provisions that have been submitted by committee members for consideration for inclusion in the Water Resources Development Act currently under development.
Disaster Response and Mutual Aid
In response to an extreme storm system that has impacted Tallahassee, Fla., causing widespread and extensive damage, the Florida Municipal Electric Association has called on its national mutual aid network to bring in more than 215 personnel from 20 utilities in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina to assist with power restoration efforts in the capital city, FMEA reported on May 10.
Workforce
Florida public power utility JEA has promoted two executives to newly created roles to help advance the utility’s goals and objectives, and to further ensure strategic alignment across the organization.