Addressing the Generation Gap in Power Systems By Michael J. Wright, PE President, Power Grid Engineering, LLC
Addressing the Generation Gap in Power Systems
By Michael J. Wright, PE
President, Power Grid Engineering, LLC
Agenda
• History of how we got here
• My Story in Power
• Roadmap for addressing the generation gap
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How did we get here?
• In the early 20th century, Power Systems was on the cutting edge of technology
• Some of the best minds were drawn to the power industry because it was a new frontier
– The challenge was there
– And so were the investment dollars
These guys were EE’s
• Back when they went to school, how many focus areas did EE’s have?
• How many focus areas did EE’s have in the 1970’s?
• How many focus areas do EE’s have today?
• “Power” is in competition with MANY other options for EE students…and “power” is losing
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And then along comes….
Jack Welch
• Downsizing
• Streamlining
• Maximizing Profits
• Trendsetter – IOU’s followed his lead
Investor Relations Have An Effect
• Recession, stagflation, oil crisis, interest rate hike
• By the late 20th century, the Power industry was a mature industry
• Utility’s are regulated, profits capped
• Need more profits, more cash, a better balance sheet
• IOU’s followed Welch’s example of success at GE
– They HAD to…
– IOU’s compete for investors
What did all this cool stuff do to Power?
• Investment dollars go to new technologies
• Power systems is a mature industry
How did the Power industry respond?
• Little investment into the nations electric grid
• Little investment in training employees
• Apprenticeship programs disbanded
• Little hiring of new college grads
• Little need for new technology
• Little partnership with universities
My story from the 1990’s On May 2, 1998, a day that will live in infamy, of 100 electrical engineering students that graduated from the prestigious University of Florida, ONE LONE HERO graduated and selected a career in the power industry
Why was I a One Man Wolf Pack???
EEL 3701 and 4201
• Energetic
• Passionate
• Advocate for his field
• We built cool stuff in the lab
• We built a working red light out of toggle switches and a chip
• Students were excited
• New technology, hands on Lab
• Finally felt like an engineer!!!
Dr. Eric M. Schwartz
Did his job well!
Colleges “Push” Students into Fields…
• where the investment dollars are
• where students demonstrate excitement
• where the scholarships dollars are
• where recruiters find interest from incoming students
• where graduates can find jobs
• WHERE INDUSTRY PARTICIPATES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
• For many years, POWER SYSTEMS was no longer one of these fields
Problem
• It only takes a few engineers to create these new technologies…
• …But it takes an army of engineers to apply these technologies across our nation.
• This “army” is MIA and that is the generation gap problem
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And then the lights went out…
• 2000 California electricity crisis
• NE Blackout of 2003
• Florida Blackout of 2008
• And when blackouts happen, regulators get busy – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
– North American Electric Reliability Corporation
• With regulations comes – More maintenance, stricter design criteria, higher performance
requirements, faster response times, etc.
• The “army” needs more soldiers (aka – power systems engineers)
• Supply and Demand takes over
SMART GRID comes along
• Government investment
• Utility investment
• University/Industry partnerships
• More data
• New equipment
• Lot’s of projects
• Low interest rates
• Public Awareness!
• All this means we need more engineers
Addressing the Generation Gap
• Utility companies need to get involved
– Fund research and projects
– Communicate with colleges about the skills they need students to have
– Offer internships and coops
– Get to students early, build interest in power
– Offer power plant tours
– Sponsor “power labs” at colleges with instructors, software, and equipment
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Addressing the Generation Gap
• Colleges need to get involved
– Hire “attractive” power professors
• And I don’t mean looks
– Passionate, energetic, fun
– Professors who advocate for the Power industry
– Professors who make students actually feel like “engineers”
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Vs.
Addressing the Generation Gap
• Colleges need to get involved
– Develop students who can be productive immediately – more power labs
• ASPEN Software
• PSSE Software
• Enoserv RTS
• Equipment Testing
• Working with Engineering Drawings
– When I graduated…..I had no clue what I was going to do at work
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Addressing the Generation Gap
• Colleges are missing the boat
– Teaching deeply theoretical power
– Need to teach practical power
• More hands on
• More power labs
– Need to teach skill sets that will make students immediately valuable to their new employers
• Relay settings, testing relays, engineering drawings, modeling the power system, power softwares, testing equipment/devices, etc.
• This will make students feel like engineers
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Addressing the Generation Gap
• How will colleges know what to teach?
• Communicate with the power industry!!!
– Utility Companies
– Manufacturers
– Consulting Firms
– Software Suppliers
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