_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Lakeland Electric
Having graduated in 1981 , Mike has a unique perspective on the industry ’ s shift towards renewable energy , as he has directly witnessed the changes throughout his career . “ I started out designing and constructing many of the coal plants , as well as nuclear plants , that I then decommissioned later in my career ,” he reflects . “ In fact , all the plants I previously worked on are now decommissioned .
“ I ’ ve worked in nearly every piece of the jigsaw puzzle that makes up the industry : public utilities , an independent power producer , and a federal power company . Coming to Lakeland in 2015 was a fantastic opportunity to join a company that still maintained a very active generation – and it ’ s not too bad seeing my career out in the sunny State of Florida ,” Mike laughs .
“ Although coal did a lot of great things for our country , it ’ s time to move on to more sustainable sources ,” he proposes . “ It also helps that as companies across the globe are trying to significantly lower their carbon emissions , the US is introducing additional incentives and federal grants to support the adoption of renewable energy .”
Cathryn adds : “ We ’ ve also just signed a letter of intent with Emera Technologies ( Emera ) for their BlockEnergy proposition . The concept of micro grids is entirely new to the industry and proprietary technology for them , which we hope to move to fruition within the near future .
“ It means the utility company will own the solar panels within a community , with the generated power shared between the neighborhoods . Each area will have batteries and backup generators to provide a closed system with near 100 percent reliability .
“ One of Emera ’ s existing microgrid communities , which comprises 37 residential properties , was able to ride out the last hurricane without any loss of power ,” she goes on . “ Its design connects the community underground and allows it to be autonomously powered with reliable , renewable electricity .”
Above all , we want to position ourselves to be at the forefront of renewable energy developments , while maintaining affordable prices for our customers
Adaptable and sustainable
As our conversation draws to a close , Mike shares his vision for Lakeland ’ s future . “ I want us to remain flexible yet stable , so that we can successfully adapt to market trends and sustainable developments as they arise . With sustainability dominating energy discussions , our workforce is energized and enthusiastic to help shape the world ’ s energy transition . “ Our internal focus will be smart devices , BlockEnergy and smart grids , and continuing to match our capacity to demand ,” he shares . “ Personally , I think sustainability also refers to ensuring everybody can afford to access our power grid and be able to utilize clean , renewable power where possible .
“ Above all ,” Mike concludes , “ we want to position ourselves to be at the forefront of renewable energy developments , while maintaining affordable prices for our customers .” ■
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