The future belongs to those who are fast! That’s the mantra of futurist Jim Carroll — and nowhere has this become a reality faster than in the world of energy and utilities.
There is no doubt that the next phase of the world of energy involves the convergence of a variety of trends, each of which is significant on its own, but combined, provides an opportunity for massive disruption — and opportunity!
The era of massive hyper-connectivity at an industrial, commercial, and residential level as a result of the acceleration of the Internet of things. The rapid advancement of energy science, particularly with battery storage, alternative energy sources, and other leading-edge technologies. Business model disruption through the fast arrival of technologies that support personal and local energy microgrids through backyard wind, solar, biomass, and other forms of energy generation. New demand and infrastructure requirements arise from such significant trends as smart cities, electric vehicles, and intelligent highway infrastructure. And then there are simple light poles — which are now becoming ‘fitbits for cities’ with embedded environmental sensors, car-charging technologies, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, and traffic management technologies!
But wait — there’s more! At M.I.T. they are even in the midst of research as to how to grow solar cells from plants!
That’s why no less than the Edison Energy Institute has stated that going forward, “The threats posed to the electric utility industry from disruptive forces, particularly distributed resources, have serious long-term implications for the traditional electric utility business model and investor opportunities.”
Leading energy organizations worldwide have been booking global futurist Jim Carroll for his insight on the accelerating trends which are redefining the global energy and utility sector at a blistering pace today. We will see more change in the energy industry in the next 10 years than we have seen in the last 100 – are you ready? His keynote will provide clear, up-to-the-moment insight based on the most recent developments and trends; a key overview of the challenges and opportunities these trends present; and a strategic pathway forward based on his key mantra that right now, in the midst of disruptive transformation, that it is an important time to ‘think big, start small and scale fast!
