ScottMadden, Inc., one of North America’s leading management consulting firms specializing in energy, will soon release its fall 2021 issue of the ScottMadden Energy Industry Update. For over a decade, the Energy Industry Update has catalyzed strategic discussion, debate, and decisions. More than 10,000 executive leaders rely on it for the most important trends and thought-provoking insights.
Themed, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” ScottMadden’s upcoming report will share some of the latest industry trends related to:
- The growing momentum of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting
- The continued expansion of energy storage, particularly lithium-ion battery technology
- The potential for small modular reactors (SMRs) to be an option for carbon-free power
The energy industry has made substantial progress in developing and deploying low greenhouse gas-emitting energy technologies, but there is still significant work to be done.
In recent years, several states have passed energy storage targets or mandates that offer the opportunity to qualify for a federal investment tax credit if paired with solar. While the market has been growing rapidly for short-duration lithium-ion batteries, there is a growing need for longer-duration energy storage and new technologies. The technology landscape is evolving, but electric utilities can take concrete steps to integrate current energy storage technologies and prepare a roadmap for new ones.
As decarbonization and the “energy transition” progresses, SMRs have garnered interest and could play a role in providing dispatchable, carbon-free energy and other services such as district heat. However, both technology and regulatory frameworks must advance to move SMRs closer to deployment.
The report also explores how ESG reporting is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Various ESG reporting methodologies are in use and being proposed, tailored to stakeholder interests. No single methodology for energy and utility reporting is deemed definitive or standard, but some front-runners are emerging. Moving to a standard disclosure approach affords companies some certainty, but energy and utility companies will need to consider several factors when developing their own reporting frameworks.
Additionally, the report will examine COVID-19’s impact on the energy industry in year two, a round-up of recent activity at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, trends in weather risk in energy markets, and natural gas developments.
“The energy industry may not yet have ‘found what it’s looking for but it continues to plan, research, develop, and invest in existing and new technologies to advance their decarbonization and reliability goals,” says Cristin Lyons, partner and energy practice leader at ScottMadden.
To receive your copy of this complimentary report, subscribe here, or to download the prior issue, click here.
An advance copy of the Update will be available to the media prior to the release date. For more details, please contact us.
Complimentary Energy Industry Update Webcast
If you have not yet registered, we encourage you to join ScottMadden’s complimentary webcast, “ScottMadden’s Energy Industry Update – Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” on Thursday, November 11, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. EST to hear our energy experts share their views and field questions related to these topics and more. Ms. Lyons will serve as webcast moderator. Register for this webcast here.