Energy Thought Summit Updates

Many of my followers know that I've been active in the smart grid space for many years, as there are strong parallels between utilities and telcos in terms of how communications technology is disrupting everything that they do. What VoIP started doing to telecom began about 10 years ago, the Web - and other things - is doing to the energy sector now, and there's a lot to be learned from the comms space about how to handle change.

The next Energy Thought Summit - ETS16 - is a month away, and it's time for an update. I've been involved with ETS from the beginning, and it's part of my broader involvement with Austin-based Zpryme Research, where I'm also an Advisor. This is a unique event in that it's all about thought leadership from A-list executives across the energy sector, along with leading academics and policy makers. No exhibitors or show floor - just great content and insights about what's happening now and where things are going.

The full agenda was published on Friday, so see for yourself. Since we all use energy - not even the Internet is this important - you don't have to be a utility lifer to find the topics of interest. Aside from the hands-on industry issues, we'll be addressing things like electric vehicles, Internet of Things, customer engagement, smart cities, smart homes, renewable energy, sustainable business models, etc.

I'll be there wearing a few hats, including something a bit different. On Wednesday morning, I'll be the Emcee for an Open Mic session titled "What's the Next Greatest Challenge in Energy?". It's going to be a fun session, and if things work out, I may warm up the audience playing some piano.  Why not - it's Austin, right?

Otherwise, I'll moderate a session or two - updates coming-  and generally will not be hard to find. I'm also contributing thought leadership content as we build up to the summit, with my most recent posting here. Drop me a line if you want to hear more about ETS16, and even better if you want to attend.