Utility Survey Ranks Staff Experience Concerns as #1 New Project Inhibitor

February 14, 2017 

Results from Bridge Energy Group’s 2017 Bridge Index Utility Industry Grid Operations Survey, incorporating feedback from 20,000 utility executives, managers and engineers, show staff experience is a project inhibitor for many organizations. Outsourcing operational technology services has also become less taboo.

Results uncovered a 71% increase in organizations considering outsourcing their OT operations and support — fueled by 45% of utilities surveyed concerned about limited staff experience and pending employee retirement.

“The ability to staff real-time systems experts continues to be an impediment to both the delivery of new OT projects and meeting the demands of day-to-day systems operation,” says Bridge Energy Group. “OT resource planning and risk management at a portfolio level is required to effectively prioritize and optimize what is typically a constrained set of key resources.”

The annual utility survey, one of the most comprehensive in the industry, provides insight on grid enhancement activities and priorities set forth by Canadian and American utilities. The 2017 Bridge Index Grid Operations Survey also reveals the top three, near-term grid enhancement projects as

1. communications network (61%)

2. distribution automation (60%)

3. customer service portals (56%)

Consistent with the industry’s increased spend on grid modernization, top projects planned include systems, infrastructure and technologies focused on the communication, visualization and quality of data. “These projects can have an immediate impact on improving operational performance and are the building blocks upon which grid modernization goals will be achieved, including increased situational awareness, grid reliability, DER integration and more,” says Mike Bianco, VP Grid Operations Solutions, Bridge Energy Group.

Survey results also show that Canadian and American utilities are satisfied with current power outage and restoration solutions, as 41% of the utilities surveyed have upgraded their meters to smart meters for their primary source of outage information and 60% are now using advanced technology to detect blue sky outages.

“Data show that North American utilities seem satisfied with current outage and restoration solutions. Those that aren’t should look to increase overall benefit of smart meters through improved meter to grid integration.”

Full survey results are available here: http://bit.ly/1UxyqHv.

 

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • AEA Congratulates Leanne Walker for Emerging Leader Award at 2024 AEA Industry Awards

    AEA Congratulates Leanne Walker for Emerging Leader Award at 2024 AEA Industry Awards

    Recently, the Alberta Electrical Alliance (AEA) congratulated Leanne Walker of EECOL Electric for receiving the Emerging Leader award at the 2024 AEA Industry Awards. The AEA colleague, Jaye, had this to say about Leanne’s years in the business: “Leanne is a highly valued member of our team and consistently demonstrates professionalism in the industry. Leanne… Read More…

  • AD Names 2025 LLC Board of Directors After Owner/Member Vote

    AD Names 2025 LLC Board of Directors After Owner/Member Vote

    AD announced that its owner/members elected three directors to its LLC Board of Directors and an appointment. AD directors are elected through an annual voting process during which the AD Board’s Nominating & Governance Committee reviews nominations submitted from the membership at-large and AD owner/members vote on the nominees proposed to join the Board. Read More…


Peers & Profiles