Raiford Smith

December article providing a high-level overview of battery storage and its opportunities.

5 lessons learned about change management.

800 word overview of some lessons learned to start your analytics journey.

Interview about the future of utility analytics

A brief interview about how analytics, blockchains, and agile methodology are re-shaping the utility industry.

Article about the microgrid we developed and deployed at Joint Base San Antonio using solar, battery storage, Siemens MGMS, and the OpenFMB architecture.

pages 29-31 of book, "Thought Leaders Speak Out: Key Trends Driving Change in the Electric Power Industry, vol III"

Article describing the need for flexibility through architecture, interoperability, standards-based tool choice, cloud-based environment, and good governance for analytics.

Article describing CPS Energy's innovative new solar program

Interview with Kathleen Wolf Davis on the future of the electric utility, renewables, grid of the future, analytics, and strategy to tie them all together.

CPS Energy has an analytics strategy and roadmap for data integration that forms a foundation for the grid of future.

Interview regarding our revolutionary new rooftop and community solar offerings.

Interview with Utility Drive about CPS Energy's new solar DG offerings for retail customers.

Blog post from Siemens Industry Analyst conference covering changes to the utility industry.

The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has granted funds for researching interoperability challenges in microgrids. Joint development between Duke Energy, CPS Energy, Omnetric, and UTSA.

Interview describing some innovative efforts CPS Energy is pursuing to advance interoperability and the smart grid.

Television interview describing some of the latest solar photovoltaic customer programs we're launching at CPS Energy.

Radio interview describing some of the latest solar photovoltaic customer programs we're launching at CPS Energy.

Interview describing some of the latest solar photovoltaic customer programs (and industry reaction) we're launching at CPS Energy.

Interview to discuss Duke Energy's "Coalition of the Willing" efforts to bring together utilities and vendors to build standards-based, interoperable systems.

Duke Energy 2008 Annual Report

This case series brings together the evaluation of operating options and financial hedging. An electric power plant has several hourly operating alternatives, and a decision model is used to evaluate profit opportunities and decide among those options for fuel and operating level given the available capacity, which is in itself uncertain. The decision tree for these operating decisions is embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation that evaluates hedges of electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil, given… Show more

This case series brings together the evaluation of operating options and financial hedging. An electric power plant has several hourly operating alternatives, and a decision model is used to evaluate profit opportunities and decide among those options for fuel and operating level given the available capacity, which is in itself uncertain. The decision tree for these operating decisions is embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation that evaluates hedges of electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil, given uncertain prices.
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The B case adds the possibility of using hedging to manage risks. The impact of hedging on the distribution of profits and particularly its variance is analyzed to understand the value that hedging creates for Spiegel. Students will analyze how hedging reduces risk and find optimal hedging plans using an optimizer such as OptQuest (used with Crystal Ball) or Risk Optimizer (used with @Risk).

The manager of a paper plant must decide whether to buy a new electrode boiler to replace a natural gas boiler. The challenge is to cut through complexities such as uncertainty in boiler efficiency, energy prices, financing alternatives, and supplier/competitor relationships to arrive at a first-cut analysis and decision. While the case is rich with issues, a considered decision can be made without using the sophisticated methods available to treat these complexities. The case is designed as an… Show more

The manager of a paper plant must decide whether to buy a new electrode boiler to replace a natural gas boiler. The challenge is to cut through complexities such as uncertainty in boiler efficiency, energy prices, financing alternatives, and supplier/competitor relationships to arrive at a first-cut analysis and decision. While the case is rich with issues, a considered decision can be made without using the sophisticated methods available to treat these complexities. The case is designed as an introductory class in which an agenda for a course in decision analysis/management science is established. Show less