An Excerpt from “Energy Transition for Utilities”

The following is an excerpt from “Energy Transition for Utilities” by Alan Mendoza, available on MixCache.com.

Introduction

Energy systems are undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation. For utilities, the journey from coal to renewables is not simply a technology swap; it is an enterprise-wide shift that touches planning horizons, operational playbooks, financial structures, workforce capabilities, regulatory relationships, and community trust. Energy Transition for Utilities: From Coal to Renewables—Operational, Financial, and Regulatory Pathways is written to help decision-makers navigate that shift with confidence and clarity while maintaining the triad of reliability, affordability, and sustainability.

This book is designed for utility executives, board members, regulators, and policy staff who must translate ambitious climate goals into bankable plans and day-to-day operating realities. It brings together disciplines that are too often siloed—system engineering, corporate finance, and regulatory strategy—into a single, practical reference. Whether you manage a vertically integrated utility, operate in a competitive market, or oversee regulation, you will find frameworks and tools that connect long-term strategy to near-term execution.

Operationally, the transition requires rethinking how the grid is planned and run. High penetrations of variable renewable energy change forecasting, unit commitment, and dispatch. Transmission and interconnection queues determine build-out speed. Distribution systems host growing fleets of distributed energy resources—rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles, flexible loads—that must be orchestrated, not merely accommodated. Reliability and resilience standards must evolve alongside weather and wildfire risks, and digital systems must be secured against escalating cyber threats. The chapters in the first half of the book tackle these realities with step-by-step methods, checklists, and metrics.

Financially, decarbonization is a capital-intensive investment program layered atop a legacy asset base. Decisions about coal retirement timing, repowering options, securitization of unrecovered balances, and procurement strategies shape customer bills and balance sheets for decades. We unpack valuation methods, cost-of-capital considerations, portfolio risk hedging, and contract structures such as PPAs and tolling agreements. Just as important, we examine rate design options—from time-of-use and demand charges to subscriptions and EV-specific tariffs—that send efficient price signals while protecting vulnerable customers.

Regulatory pathways can accelerate or delay transition by years. Effective filings knit together integrated resource plans, ratemaking, performance incentives, and stakeholder settlements. We present templates for proceedings, examples of outcome-based metrics, and approaches to align utility earnings with public-interest outcomes. Because the energy transition is ultimately local, we emphasize how to adapt these tools to different market structures and policy environments, and how to craft transparent, good-faith engagement with customers, workers, and communities.

Equity is threaded throughout the book, not relegated to a single chapter. Communities that hosted fossil plants deserve a seat at the table—and tangible benefits—as assets retire or repower. Workers need reskilling pathways and safety nets. Customers facing energy burden require targeted support. Our case studies highlight utilities that have advanced decarbonization while delivering measurable equity outcomes, detailing the governance choices and program designs that made the difference.

Each chapter closes with practical takeaways: a short toolkit, a risk register to watch, and a set of decision checkpoints you can apply immediately. The final chapter distills lessons from real transitions—what worked, what failed, and why—so you can avoid common pitfalls and replicate success at speed and scale. The aim is not simply to describe the future grid, but to equip you to build it—prudently, credibly, and fairly.

Read “Energy Transition for Utilities” on MixCache.com →