For Taxis, It's Uber. For Utilities, Could It Be DERs? [Original Content]

This podcast episode sponsored by West Monroe Partners, and brought to you by creative strategies. How do we think about change in the electric utility industry caused by distributed resources? Is it like telecom? Internet-based retail? Sam Uyeno, senior manager in West Monroe Partners’ energy and utilities practice, says that it may be more like ride sharing. As distributed resources flourish, he argues that utilities will have to think about how to leverage new customers within its network — just as Uber came into the taxi market and allowed anyone to become operators.  When you consider distributed resource management software, “maybe that’s the Uber.” Utilities are making large investments to keep up with the quickening pace of technological innovation. But it may not be enough to keep up with distributed energy resources. Utilities should also be looking for a new regulatory compact all together, argues Tom Hulsebosch, senior managing director for West Monroe Partner’s Energy & Utilities and sustainability practice.  In this podcast, we talk with Hulsebosch and Uyeno about the technology investments and business practices that utilities need to adopt in order to get ahead of the wave of distributed assets connecting to the grid. Recommended reading:Addressing the Challenge of Distributed Energy Resource GrowthPositioning Utilities to Win the Battle for CustomersNew Role for Utilities Leads to Business Opportunities