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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