9 R3 O$ f* r7 s4 o( | P& RPrior to the 1970s, the U.S. electric power industry was technology driven. $ m7 I8 |5 l0 a0 c |Engineers were trained to focus on specific technologies and work in spe- 5 l1 Y/ }8 T- M" R6 Tcialized areas. However, dramatic changes began taking place in the 1970s, ! D+ e, ]7 C( y+ f$ `, k' }
and an “energy crisis” ushered in a new era of tighter regulation. + Y+ B# h3 M& R6 P! w By the early 1990s, two decades of intense regulation were replaced by ! C2 _# }2 n& s# T+ S# ]a new policy of promoting open access and competition. The Energy Policy : l d6 k- y/ Y
Act of 1992, followed by several significant Notices of Proposed Rulemakings t/ b7 w4 }+ p6 o0 M. E# q" h8 T
and Orders from the U.S. Federal Energy Commission, required utilities to # }( j; f& |- V( {3 ocompete for markets that were previously guaranteed. As a consequence, * W M0 a" o3 n( W9 ~/ \there were many mergers and acquisitions. Marketers with little or no power 7 R. Q! y4 b& X! n: L
industry experience moved into positions of influence. Engineering organi- 3 s q6 t7 Z% xzations were downsized, and the engineers who were left behind had to find ! c5 h: Y' G8 o) c9 }! ]/ Qways to prevent power systems from becoming less reliable. 2 u4 N& e, `% E" h) F( x
Today the transition in industry structure is nearly complete. The U.S. ( ?, o& x& L: l# T2 U# ]6 r7 felectric power industry is no longer technology driven. It is public policy 5 D) R( A4 N+ G! m# j, p/ l
and market driven. Just as utility companies have to change to survive in 9 [8 A1 t. Y8 k9 Lthe new competitive environment, engineers who choose to work in the 7 r. ~: f ^/ {" J/ c$ Windustry must learn a new set of skills and accommodate new disciplines. ) a# l* m, n6 P
This book is intended to help educate new engineers for the new business ; _1 \; o, Z8 V$ Z F6 ^
environment. We explain how new methods for power systems operations , `0 s& Y) C; E z9 D6 Pand energy marketing relate to public policy, regulation, economics, and / c0 w9 k0 e! D4 g6 O$ cengineering science. This book can serve as a textbook for an undergraduate ; O2 Q3 X* }/ V. Jelective course for engineering students. Alternatively, it can be used for the 3 {( x; t" n( W3 j! I" w7 Z
continuing education of industrial power engineers and energy industry ! c1 L l. \& a* R7 `5 d$ |: d$ |
employees. 9 ^ \- t( s( w8 B