Today's Top Stories
1. Meet the 10 highest paid utility CEOs
2. Power Suits: The "Fierce"-est Women in Energy
3. Renewable Energy Innovators
4. Conservation "App"-titude -- Optimizing energy use data
5. Top 10: 2012 Utility Industry Predictions Also Noted: Spotlight On... Utilities go retail
FERC: "Change or die"; Smart meter mishaps and much more... 
Dear Readers, Welcome to the "Best of FierceEnergy 2012," an annual Fierce tradition I hope will not only bring you reading enjoyment, but provide a welcome break from family, turkey and shopping. Here, you will find a look back at some of the most popular FierceEnergy stories of 2012. In general, the Top Five pays homage to the best of the best in the energy industry -- from the most influential people to the top advances in renewable energy to the leading energy applications in social media. In our Spotlight, a runner up to the Top Five, I chose to salute the utilities and retail establishments who are on the cutting-edge of the industry with their out-of-the-box collaborations and partnerships. In Also Noted, you will find more top stories I would be remiss to overlook. These run the gamut -- surprising research results impacting utility relationships and their bottom line; FERC's strong message to utilities; coal vs. natural gas; smart meter mishaps and successes; green technology; and the year's major merger. Enjoy. -- Barb News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Self-generation and Prosumers key to grid sustainability
2. Opt-out programs: Stories from across the U.S.
3. Energy Management Partnerships
| This week's sponsor is University TechWatch. |  | University Clean Tech Directory and Database
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See www.universitycleantech.com |
Today's Top News 1. Meet the 10 highest paid utility CEOs
 | | Credit: iStock | Compensation of utility CEOs is one of the worst-kept secrets in the industry, with the information publicly available online via a few simple clicks of the mouse. What is less of a secret -- less obvious -- is why some CEOs earn the salaries and total compensation packages they do. For example, although PG&E Corporation's CEO makes a cool $9 million-plus, he turned down additional compensation (performance-based) because he felt he had not put enough time in at the company. In another example, in 2011, Dominion Resources' CEO received his first base salary increase in three years. And did you know that Duke Energy's CEO receives no base salary at all? That's right -- nada. It's amazing what can be uncovered when you delve beneath the surface. The following is a list of executive compensation for the 10 highest paid CEOs in the utility industry. The salary and compensation data was drawn from publicly available U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Total compensation includes base salary, annual incentive awards and long-term incentive awards like stocks, options and non-equity incentives and excludes other elements of pay such as changes in pension value and non-qualified deferred compensation earnings. Read the entire Feature online at FierceEnergy. Read more about: Utility CEO Salaries
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| This week's sponsor is Zpryme. |  | Zpryme's Smart Grid Insights and FierceSmartGrid are conducting a survey to assess the current sentiment and outlook for the Smart Grid industry on a monthly basis. We would like to invite utility, energy, and Smart Grid executives to participate in this month's survey. Click here to take the survey.
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2. Power Suits: The "Fierce"-est Women in Energy
By Barbara Vergetis Lundin In the male dominated energy industry, few women stand out from the pack. Throughout the utility industry, that dynamic is shifting. The female leaders among men are visionaries and trailblazers in their own right having, in many instances, fought their way to the top or been appointed to positions that traditionally have only seated males. There are only five females that hold the top seat (that of CEO) at investor owned utilities across the United States. And many of them have set an industry first, holding the title of the utility's "First Female CEO." FierceEnergy's list of the "Fierce"-est Women in Energy pays tribute to those female executives who are guiding the growth of the energy industry via their passion, drive, dedication, energy, leadership, knowledge and experience. Read the entire Special Report online at FierceEnergy. Read more about: women in energy, utility CEOs
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3. Renewable Energy Innovators
Renewable energy sources are the global future of energy generation, but harnessing and integrating that power into the existing grid remains a formidable challenge. Unlike coal or natural gas power, renewable sources like solar and wind can be unreliable and hard to predict. Sustained generation from these sources requires a balanced renewable portfolio and the ability to store power, as well as the ability to draw generation from a number of sources. In recognition of these challenges, and the ingenuity required to overcome them, FierceEnergy is recognizing the industry-leading energy companies working to integrate renewable power into the grid -- those have have been successfull integrating this generation with traditional power sources. This list -- in alphabetical order -- was compiled after considering the scale of the project, as well as its level of innovation. If a deserving project didn't make the list, feel free to let us know about it in the comments section below. Read the entire Special Report online at FierceEnergy. Read more about: TVA, Maryland Heights, solar home
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4. Conservation "App"-titude -- Optimizing energy use data
For years, electricity consumption was measured by analog meters. Trucks were dispatched to homes and businesses to read electric meters, and utilities billed customers accordingly. Data was collected on a monthly basis at best and was not stored over long periods of time. But with the advent of smart meters, utilities are capable of receiving energy consumption data as frequently as every 15 minutes.  | | Credit:iStock | As this new technology becomes more prevalent, utilities are beginning to gather and store enormous amounts of energy use data. The sad thing is that most people have no idea how to look at or understand this data. On its own, the data is nothing more than numbers and measures, and few utilities have the knowledge or resources to use this data in meaningful ways. Even if utilities make the effort to analyze data and present it to customers, the majority of consumers are uninterested in their personal energy use patterns. View the Slideshow online at FierceEnergy. Read more about: mobile apps, Green Button, online apps, Energy Efficiency
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5. Top 10: 2012 Utility Industry Predictions
By Rick Nicholson, Group Vice President, IDC Energy Insights  | | Rick Nicholson, Group Vice President, IDC Energy Insights | At the end of each year IDC Energy Insights develops a list of top 10 predictions for the upcoming year for various industry segments and geographic markets. Since IDC is a technology market research and advisory firm the predictions are focused on the role of technology in the energy industry but are presented in the context of the business and regulatory environment impacting technology investment. Predictions typically look beyond just the upcoming year and include a 2-3 year forecast horizon. For the past three years, technology investment in the North American utility industry has been dominated by two opposing forces. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided billions of dollars of stimulus funding in the form of grants, tax credits, and loan guarantees, accelerating investment in a range of smart grid and clean energy technologies. On the other hand, the recession had a major negative impact on utilities, causing energy consumption and revenue to drop, thus reducing budgets for technology investments not supported by ARRA funding. This hit IT budgets particularly hard. With all of the ARRA funding allocated and a majority of the funds disbursed to utilities, 2012 will be the first real "post stimulus" year. In 2012, technology investments will need to be supported by positive business cases that satisfy both utility and regulatory requirements. As such, it will be critical for utilities and vendors to understand the key trends in each technology market segment. It is with reference to this economic environment that IDC Energy Insights developed its North American utility industry 2012 top 10 predictions, a summary of which are presented here. Read the entire Feature online at FierceEnergy. |
Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Utilities go retail Energy is an important pillar of the connected home market, and big box retailers are capitalizing on emerging trends to converge upon the energy market. The proliferation of smart appliances, smart meters, and devices such as smart thermostats as part of the connected home will be further driven by growth in smartphone and tablet applications that allow users to more easily monitor, manage and control these technologies while away. Read the entire Feature online at FierceEnergy. > Consumer Telematics Show 2013 - January 7 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay This is the most prestigious and dynamic consumer telematics focused meeting for the automotive industry. Held on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), this year’s senior-level speakers will include, Audi, Toyota, Ford, Toyota, HARMAN, Porsche, Hughes Telematics, Gartner, KIA, Mercedes-Benz and many more. Check out more info about the agenda and elite speakers here.
| > White paper: Smart Planning for Smart Grid AMI Mesh Networks Mesh networks must be properly designed to operate within the constraints of mesh routing protocols and capacity limits This white paper shows how planning/analysis techniques can deliver reliable and scalable networks and outlines best RF design practices to optimize for performance and cost. Download today! > White paper: Cyber Security and the Energy Sector Utilities face many security challenges today. AT&T and Sierra Wireless are working together to provide strong and proven security technologies enabling utilities with a secure and flexible two-way communications infrastructure to connect and communicate in real time. Download now. > Survey: Take the Smart Grid Index Survey Zpryme's Smart Grid Insights and FierceSmartGrid are conducting a survey to assess the current sentiment and outlook for the Smart Grid industry on a monthly basis. We would like to invite utility, energy, and Smart Grid executives to participate in this month's survey. Click here to take the survey. | |
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