Disruptive technologies in electric supply could accelerate growth in the industry

While more trends are affecting the power industry, where the emerging technologies could be disruptive to the traditional utility model, it could, however, serve as an opportunity for growth.

The Secretary-general to the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Datuk Seri Ir Dr Zaini Ujang revealed that those emerging technologies would be coming in forms of renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery storage, and energy efficiency.

He said those forms of emerging technologies would catalyse the growth of the Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry (MESI).

Zaini also said that the upcoming Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI 2018), hosted by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) on Sept, would be an ideal platform to explore the kind of economic opportunities that come along with the disruptive.

“We will have experts from the participating nations to discuss the possibilities. One example of disruptive technology that already emerged, is where the consumers would now be able to generate their own electricity and at the same time sell unused energy to TNB.

“That is what we call Net Electricity Metering, and we at the ministry, as well as the industry players like TNB, are looking forward on how to develop the concept further,” he told a press conference after officiating the Soft Launch of CEPSI 2018, at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, here, today.

Meanwhile, at the same press conference, the President and Chief Executive Officer of TNB, Datuk Seri Ir Azman Mohamad said that the captains of industry would know better on how to address the disruptive technology and make it beneficial to the society.

Hence, he added, the players already expressed their interest to give insights, and at the same time, to explore to the audience of CEPSI 2018, on how to manipulate the emerging technologies.

“This is the kind of challenge that every utility industry around the world is going through. And since we do not have one single, yet reliable module, this conference is definitely what we need to digest the shifting trends, and to shape policy that would be beneficial to all of us,” he said.

According to a press release, CEPSI is a biennial event held by the Association of the Electricity Supply Industry of East Asia and the Western Pacific (AESIEAP), where TNB is holding the chairmanship for term 2017-18.

The theme “Reimagining Utility of the Future” was chosen to underpin the current scenario on how the electric supply industry has been transforming in response to the emergence and convergence of disruptions, economic shifts, evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements.