WHAT A TORTUOUS PATH WE TRAVERSED AS WE CHASED THE HOLY GRAIL OF DEREGULATION. There's a reason our dear congressmen and regulators saved this industry for last. The power grid is incredibly complex and, to add insult to injury, we have no viable warehouses to store our product. We bring new meaning to the phrase “just in time.”

Now with a blackout or two under our belts, along with a couple of near misses, state regulators are holding us to task for “letting our grid deteriorate,” even though they did not grant the rate increases that would have enabled us to hold our own in maintenance and add circuits to meet load growth. We, of course, must shoulder part of the blame for failing to maintain positive relations with our handlers (state regulators).

I admit the utilities of 20 years ago were carrying a little extra weight, maybe a lot of extra weight. But we've slimmed down to the point of being emaciated. Now, with load growth in an expanding economy, utilities are actually hiring again. But as we hit the food trough, let's also head to the gym to make sure we add muscle, not fat. To keep ourselves in shape, we need to feed on new ideas, new technologies and new contacts.

AN INFORMATION EXPLOSION

Our IEEE Power Engineering Society (PES) is doing us a great big favor by bringing together in one place the resources we need to intelligently map out our future investments in T&D infrastructure. The 2005/2006 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition will take place May 21-24 in Dallas, Texas. As we “Join the Parade of Technology,” we will witness the latest in business strategies and technical innovations, and have the opportunity to check out the wares of more than 550 exhibiting companies.

We have a passionate crew working hard to bring you the best T&D show in 2006. Executives Randy Helmick (Entergy) and Rob Trimble (TXU) are actively involved as they work to make sure that this event “ROCKS!” Co-chairs Jim Greer and Tommy Mayne have their hands in every detail, from receptions to hotels to room logistics. Technical Chair Satish Ranade has worked with all of our Technical Committees to put together a technical track so solid that I can't bring enough editors to cover it all. We are dedicating a large portion of this issue to covering the show and the vendors who are so key to our future, so I won't go into too much detail here.

THE BIG PICTURE

As an industry, we've developed incredibly powerful tools available to help us intelligently invest in our grids. On the transmission side, we have powerful design tools in the hands of our best engineers, whether dealing with foundations, structures or power lines themselves. We have access to enhanced work processes, so that we can seamlessly shift work between planning, engineering, construction and supply chain. We are developing business relationships with engineering firms, contractors, vendors and distributors that enable us to turn quality projects around in a fraction of the time of years past.

On the operations side, we are operating sophisticated control schemes that enable us to get the most out of our existing grid. On the maintenance side, we gather intelligence from condition-based monitoring systems that enable us to more wisely spend our maintenance dollars.

Recently, I was chatting with Doug Houseman, a consultant with Cap Gemini. Houseman told me utilities and regulators are beginning to work together to draft a common vision to ensure intelligent investment in the grid. And because regulators are involved in the process, they should be more willing to fund these initiatives. At least that is the theory.

We are seeing the emergence of a concept I call “The Smart Utility,” where we have the intelligence to make solid business and technical decisions. Expect our regulators who are learning right along with us to hold us accountable. But only informed individuals can make wise decisions, and there is no better place in 2006 to gain that knowledge than the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition.

LET'S BRING IN THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST

John McDonald, the president of the PES, says the average age of our IEEE PES members is 49.6 years. Frightening. We need to take action now to bring new talent into our industry. McDonald recalled recent conversations with utility executives who have resorted to hiring engineers who have never taken any power courses. IEEE is responding by developing daylong courses (available at the show in the educational track) that explain how our power grid works. If you've hired engineers recently, consider sending them down to Dallas so they can get their feet wet.

The IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition is a great opportunity to expose and challenge our budding engineers. IEEE PES has arranged an impressive array of student paper sessions at this event. You will find that a surprising number of presentations are quite practical. Remember what schools the students come from next time you go searching for engineers.

I've been asked to speak at the student luncheon. Here is a sneak preview of my comments:

“You are the future of our industry, and your timing could not be better to enter the market. Get ready to name your price. But, make sure to talk with peers when you go on your interviews. Will you get to work with others your age? Will you be given challenging work? Does the company support social activities? Don't look for security; instead, keep your resumes up-to-date and your network strong. You'll have to do your part by ‘busting it,’ but that has never been a problem for the best and brightest.”

I'LL SEE YOU IN DALLAS

Here is a little tip for you first-timers to the show. Go ahead and register early, get the proceedings disc, review the materials in your hotel room and then select the presentations you want to hear. And get to the sessions early, meet the presenters, tell them you reviewed their presentations and ask for their business cards. That way, if there is a crush of people waiting to chat at the end of the session, you won't be left out in the cold.

I expect to see 15,000 people converge in Dallas this May for the IEEE PES T&D show. Hurricane Katrina interrupted this event, which was originally scheduled for last October in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I can only imagine that the demand for information has escalated since then. IEEE PES volunteers from New Orleans have generously volunteered to work hand in hand with Dallas volunteers to bring you this delayed but much-anticipated event. Both Dallas and New Orleans know how to throw an event, having thrown in their hats to host this event in the past. So bring your cowboy boots and ten-gallon hats, and get yourself on down to the biggest event our industry will host in 2006.