EEnergy Informer

The energy industry is going through a tremendous transformation. We used to have a pretty good idea of what future needs would be. We would build assets that would last decades and that would be sure to cover those needs. That world has ended. Our strategy is now centered around agility and flexibility, based on our inability to predict or prescribe what our customers are going to want.‖

That is what Steve Holliday, CEO of National Grid, the company that operates the gas and power transmission networks in the UK and in the northeastern US, said in an interview with World Energy Focus. Not particularly new.

But then he went on to say that he believes the idea of using large coal-fired or nuclear power stations for baseload power is ―outdated.

―From a consumer’s point of view, the solar on the rooftop is going to be the baseload. Centralized power stations will be increasingly used to provide peak demand.‖

Warning against people who think they can predict the future, he said,

―Some people think they have the answer, whatever it may be. But I believe there will be different answers for different places, rural and cities, and for different customers. That’s why flexibility and agility are key.‖

Contradicting his own words, he added,