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Re-engineering DSM: Opportunities through information and integration

Journal Article · · Electricity Journal; (United States)
Virtually all of today's DSM suffers from a supply-side orientation. Utilities have the opportunity now to re-engineer their organizations by integrating their DSM activities with other company functions through an expanded approach to information resources and technology. Demand-side management made its first significant appearance in the power industry in the late 1970's as a means of offsetting or deferring conventional generation. In this role, DSM came to be thought of as a resource in its own right - a resource that produced [open quotes]negawatts,[close quotes] not watts. Ironically, this view of DSM contributed to the development of integrated resource planning techniques and cost-effectiveness models that strongly emphasized a supply-side orientation. Unfortunately, the supply-side orientation masks the expanded role that DSM technologies can play as catalysts in modernizing and re-engineering power industry customer service and system operating practices. A supply-side perspective fails to recognize that utilities are fundamentally in business to provide energy services - something that DSM is very capable of supporting. DSM can provide utilities with technology and information resources that simultaneously integrate business and planning systems with day-to-day system operations. An integrated (also known as a systems engineering or re-engineering) approach to DSM can also provide utilities with strategic, operational, and competitive benefits that are currently being overlooked.
OSTI ID:
5286245
Journal Information:
Electricity Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Electricity Journal; (United States) Vol. 6:9; ISSN ELEJE4; ISSN 1040-6190
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English