Page 247 - BWM March 2013

March 2013 | Business World Magazine | 247
AND INFRASTRUCTURE
INITIATIVE
Another important Member Initiative is the
Power Generation and Infrastructure Initia-
tive. This Initiative will convene all relevant
stakeholders at multiple forums to examine
the growing role of renewable energy and
the utility business models of the future.
Building on the considerable progress
power generation companies across the U.S.
are making in employing a host of strategies
to integrate renewable energy into their op-
erating systems, the objective of this Initia-
tive is to define a viable architecture for the
scale up and systems integration of renew-
able energy resources. The collaboration will
examine the challenges, opportunities and
appropriate strategies related to the expand-
ed use and effective integration of renewable
energy in the power generation sector. It
will also explore 21st century business mod-
els that will allow for this renewable energy
scale-up.
ACORE, in partnership with the Electric
Power Research Institute and the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory on this Initia-
tive, is uniquely positioned to help define the
expanded opportunities for renewable ener-
gy and utility business models of the future
by drawing on the collective expertise and
experience of its membership, renewable en-
ergy leaders involved in generation manufac-
turing, project development, finance, end-
use and professional services.
Renewable energy currently represents
12% of power generation, but it will contin-
ue to grow as a share of the overall U.S. elec-
tricity portfolio. A combination of private
sector ingenuity and investment, along with