Title :
Electric utility industry restructuring and its impact on power engineering education
Author :
Kempker, Mark J. ; Rostamkolai, Niusha
Author_Institution :
Syst. Protection & Control, Indianapolis Power & Light Co., IN, USA
Abstract :
Transformation of the monopolistic electric industry into a competitive and free market system is underscored by the wide price variation of electricity. To address price variation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has proposed the development of fair competition in the wholesale power market as a first step reward full deregulation of the industry. This paper discusses the steps that would perpetuate the status quo, including price variation, and frustrate competition. Additionally, the restructured electric power industry will place a new demand on educational institutions. Excellent written and oral communication skills, negotiating skills, customer interaction, and understanding the economic and legal aspects of the business in addition to the new technical expertise are being sought by industry. Integration of soft skills in technical courses and use of new tools such as laptop computers and industrial grade programs in project oriented courses can prepare students for careers in a new electric power industry
Keywords :
computer aided instruction; costing; economics; educational courses; electricity supply industry; legislation; power engineering computing; power engineering education; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; careers; communication skills; customer interaction; deregulation; economics; educational institutions; electric utility industry restructuring; fair competition; free market system; industrial grade programs; laptop computers; legal aspects; monopolistic electric industry; negotiating skills; power engineering education; price variation; wholesale power market; Business communication; Communication industry; Computer industry; Educational institutions; Electricity supply industry deregulation; Law; Oral communication; Power generation economics; Power industry; Power markets;
Conference_Titel :
System Sciences, 1997, Proceedings of the Thirtieth Hawaii International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Wailea, HI
Print_ISBN :
0-8186-7743-0
DOI :
10.1109/HICSS.1997.663224