ScottMadden, Inc., one of North America's leading energy consulting firms, is proud to join the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) in a fact-finding mission to discover ways Australian utilities and partners are deploying distributed energy resources (DERs) and how customers are responding to this market shift. Chris Vlahoplus, partner and clean tech & sustainability practice leader, and John Pang, partner, will represent ScottMadden in this group of energy industry executives.
 
Why Australia? Today, one in seven Australian homes hosts rooftop solar, the result of a history of government support, world-class solar resources, and more than 20 years of continual economic growth. Now, as retail electricity demand flattens, rates increase, government incentives fade, and the cost of batteries decreases, utilities are faced with a new set of challenges.
 
This select group of executives will meet with energy industry peers with the goal of returning with insights and practical knowledge that can be applied to planning and business decisions in the United States. The trip, which will take place November 13-18, 2016, will focus on addressing key questions, including:

• How are these utilities competing with DER market alternatives?
• What changes need to be implemented before the utilities can roll out the new services?
• How are electricity customers reacting to the new service offerings?
• What challenges are utilities facing and how are they addressing these challenges in their business model development?

"We have found previous SEPA fact-finding trips to Germany, Hawaii, and Texas immensely valuable and look forward to gaining another unique perspective on how the utility of the future may function," said Mr. Vlahoplus.
 
"There is a lot of potential for solar plus storage in Australia. It will be interesting and insightful to learn how the utility business model is evolving in this market environment," said Mr. Pang.
 
If you are interested in receiving a copy of our key findings, please contact us.
 
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | www.solarelectricpower.org
 
ScottMadden, Inc. | www.scottmadden.com