How utilities can deal with the threat of community energy

Community energy is the next big threat to utility companies – unless they manage to become part of this emerging energy economy. They still have a window of opportunity, says Craig Cavanaugh of software services company Omnetric Group, who spent six months researching the energy community market in Europe and the US. He sees three main opportunities for utilities: they can become “collaborative partner”, “community energy service provider” or “community energy platform provider”. In all cases technology is the key. “If utilities don’t move, communities will act on their own”.

“Community Energy is potentially one of the most important forces to disrupt the energy system”, says Craig Cavanaugh, CEO for the Americas of Omnetric Group, a joint-venture of Accenture and Siemens which provides technology solutions to the energy market. Cavanaugh and his team spent the past six months on research, and held interviews with community energy leaders and utility executives in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and USA. They published their findings on 17 November in a white paper ‘Power to the People’.

Technological developments, for example in microgrids and blockchain technology, are quickly making it possible for communities – which could be consumer groups, businesses, or local governments – to engage in common projects for generation, distribution, management and consumption of energy.

Read the EnergyPost story - “How utilities can deal with the threat of community energy.”