Vol. 9 June 2004
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Vol. 9 June 2004 |
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Generational Divide and Dialogue on Diversity
This isn't your grandfather's utility anymore. The bubble of Baby Boomers hired in the 70s are approaching retirement and a new wave of Gen Xers and Millenials are coming onboard. “Generational divide and other diversity issues are resurfacing as utilities work to blend four generations in the workplace into effective teams,” said Randy Edwards, director of eLearning for Apogee Interactive Inc.
Apogee Interactive now offers an award-winning online diversity course to help its utility clients achieve their diversity and inclusivity goals. Get a taste of this break-through training tool through a demo on Apogee's energy training portal,
Called
“ Dialogue on Diversity ,” this 2-hour Web-based program
is the first online diversity course to earn the American Society
of The online course utilizes a diverse group of virtual participants and a simulated facilitator to candidly illustrate the need to appreciate differences and mobilize similarities. It delivers a bold, thought-provoking experience through video scenarios, dialogue among the virtual focus group members, interactive exercises and compelling education on the massive demographic shifts underway in today's world. The Internet-based format cuts training time by 75 percent , compressing the content of an 8-hour classroom experience into four 25-minute online modules. “Older workers now often report to younger workers, and Gen Y employees tend to approach work a bit differently than Traditionalists,” said Sam Lynch, founding partner of Global Lead, the national management consulting firm that originally created Dialogue on Diversity. “These dynamics can become magnified in an industry that's been around 100 years, like electric utilities,” said Sam. He added, “Utilities traditionally have had a workforce largely populated with white males. Yet in the first decade of this century, only 15 percent of all new entrants into the workplace will be white males.” Apogee provides Dialogue on Diversity with a customized introduction specific to utilities through its www.Study-Center.com training portal. The portal currently features more than two dozen energy-related courses, including Situational Spanish for the Energy Industry. Another tool to help utilities facilitate knowledge transfer and preservation of corporate culture in a changing employee population is Apogee's OrientationExpress course.
For more information, contact Randy Edwards at 770-270-6507 or redwards@apogee.net .
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Entergy Expands Online Advice
When Entergy set out to make its Web-based energy efficiency tool more customer-friendly, the company turned to a trusted ally for the solution. Apogee designed a new energy calculator that allows Entergy residential customers to estimate their electricity usage and learn how to better manage energy costs. “Customers told us that the calculator we had been providing was too complicated for their needs,” said Linda Baynham, Entergy Energy Efficiency Coordinator. “Apogee came up with an energy calculator that is much easier for our customers to understand and use.”
Making Home Energy Advice Simpler A few years ago, Entergy initiated a “Home Energy Adviser” on its Web site to provide customers with a fast and convenient tool for learning about energy efficiency. But they discovered that many customers were bailing out of the site before completing the process. Linda Baynham said that although the original calculator provides answers and information, it appeals more to detail-oriented users with technical backgrounds. For the average customer, however, the process is too cumbersome and complex.
Tracey Brodeur, Entergy Residential Market Manager, added that the new product is also affordable and customizable, and Apogee worked quickly to ensure that Entergy had a short lead time in implementation. The new calculator was launched in December 2003. ENSIGHT into Energy Efficiency
The site includes a lighting calculator that enables customers to see how much they can save by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, directions on reading an electric meter, and dozens of conservation tips. In addition, the site contains a kid's section where young people can learn about electricity, its history, and its many modern uses. “Today's customers expect to get a lot of information from the Internet,” Baynham notes, “and this is really boosting our appeal to the younger generation of computer users. They can find out facts about electricity and why it's important to be safe around power lines.” Internet Expands Service Options The ENSIGHT page marks a turning point in the type of services that will be offered to Energy customers. For the past several years, the company has been focused on its core utility business and making sweeping improvements in service and reliability. Now, Tracey Brodeur says that customers can expect to see Entergy offering more services -- especially Internet-based services -- in the future. Entergy has partnered with Apogee on other Web-based products, including our market based load management programs; Experimental Energy Reduction (EER) & Market Value Energy Reduction (MVER) as well as our usage based information product (DataLink). Based on results and feedback over the years, Apogee has helped Entergy enhance and improve its Internet presence. “With Apogee's help, we're taking advantage of the latest technologies to respond to customer needs and provide more and better options on energy efficiency,” Linda Baynham said. “We stake our reputation on customer service, and it's obvious that Apogee does, too.”
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Meet Randy Edwards, Director of eLearning
Randy's primary focus will be to oversee expansion of the company's Internet-based curriculum and learning management system. (See related story on our new Diversity course.) “Utilities have a pressing need to facilitate skills and knowledge transfer,”said Susan Gilbert, president of Apogee. “eLearning provides the conduit and context to keep companies functioning through change. Randy will direct the development of our online solutions to meet these and other challenges.”
Randy brings nearly 20 years of energy and IT experience to his role at Apogee, beginning in engineering at Public Service Electric and Gas Company and progressing into new product development and management roles at Kearny National, Schlumberger Industries and EnerLink Information Systems (originally a subsidiary of Southern Company and later acquired by Science Applications International Corp.) He most recently served as vice president of product development and management at RETX Inc., an Internet-based business service bureau for electric utilities and energy system operators.
Meet Linda Olsen, Account Executive
Linda Olsen comes to Apogee from Philips Consumer Electronics Company where she most recently served as Senior Director of eBusiness and managed the Internet strategy and eCommerce activity for Philips' US division. During her 13-year tenure with the company, Linda held increasingly responsible management positions in service, sales and marketing.
With a bachelor's and master's degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Connecticut, Linda began her career in the audio-visual and interactive technology arenas, working for Crimson Tech, Digital Equipment Corp. and Technical Industries Inc. of Georgia. She is a certified Webmaster and is based in Apogee's headquarters office in Atlanta.
“Linda's background further augments our seasoned energy industry and Internet programming staff, bringing fresh approaches to our customers' challenges,” said Susan.
Meet
Steve Koep, Account Executive
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DEMX Users' Group Mtg.; BPA Reports Results The Demand Exchange, LLC held its annual meeting for users of the DEMAND EXCHANGE ® Trading Platform on May 6 th and 7 th in sunny San Diego, California. This year's event was hosted by our friends at San Diego Gas & Electric at their headquarters in Century Park. In attendance were representatives from Entergy, Bonneville Power Administration, Progress Energy, Georgia Power, Meridian Energy (New Zealand), and of course, San Diego Gas & Electric.
The meeting was opened by Joel Gilbert, P.E., CEO of the Demand Exchange. Joel welcomed the attendees and presented some of the latest demand response challenges in the creation of effective open markets.
SDGE Activity The keynote speaker was Robert Anderson, Director of Resource Planning for SDGE. Mr. Anderson's presentation focused on the role all types of demand response play in SDGE's resource planning. He also spoke about SDGE's plans to meet the California requirement that 20% of all the energy supplied by utilities comes from renewable resources by the year 2010.
Each company in attendance gave a presentation of the current state of demand response as well as potential plans for the future. As always, this meeting fostered a considerable free-flowing exchange of ideas and lively discussions.
BPA Achieves 22 MW of Response While
all of the presentations were interesting, of particular note was the
presentation given by Brad Miller of BPA. BPA has been investigating
non-wires solutions to a transmission constraint issue on the environmentally
sensitive Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Voluntary demand
response is one of the non-wires solutions being investigated.
During this past spring BPA conducted a pilot using the Exchange and achieved
22 megawatts of demand response. At this level of participation, voluntary
demand response will defer BPA's construction of several tens of millions
of dollars of new transmission infrastructure for the next two
Cruising On Caper There was also time to cruise around San Diego Bay on Caper , a 40-foot racing sailboat owned by John Laun, Apogee's Executive Vice President. The weather was perfect with sunshine and breezes most of the day. A tremendously good time was had by all as we cruised past aircraft carriers, guided missile frigates, submarines, and sail boats of all shapes and sizes. We also saw numerous sea lions and several porpoises.
This marked the conclusion of the Demand Exchange's fourth annual User Group Meeting and plans are now underway for the fifth – stay tuned!
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years.
It is expected that increased participation will be able to defer
construction even longer. 