Energy services in the information age: The convergence of energy, communications, and information technologies

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20006338

Centolella, P A

Most of the economic efficiency benefits of electric restructuring--consumer choice based on price and risk preferences, efficient capacity utilization, capacity expansion that reflects marketability, and innovative products--depend upon consumer access to information and opportunities to respond to time- and location-specific prices and customized products. Information and communications technologies from back-room data management centers to intelligent consumer gateways will play an essential role in marketing energy services in a retail access environment. This paper describes the role of information and communications technology in electric industry restructuring and retailing of energy services. It includes a survey of economic analyses on the likely variability in competitive generation prices and consumer responses if such prices are effectively communicated. The paper describes the potential benefits and cost savings associated with flexible consumer responses to price variability. It identifies consumer loads and preferences. Finally, the paper describes the building blocks of information systems being developed to facilitate price-responsive energy management and provide a range of other energy services. Intelligent gateways, analytical tools for facility load prediction and optimizing energy management responses, and electronic commerce applications are discussed.

• Research Organization: Science Applications International Corp., Dublin, OH (US)
• OSTI ID: 20006338
• Report Number(s): CONF-980815--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
BEHAVIOR
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MARKETING
PRICES
SERVICE SECTOR