David Wade, president and CEO of the Electric Power Board, gave a report at the March board meeting about trends in the electric industry and the outlook for EPB regarding the future. In almost all cases, EPB is positioned well because of actions taken in the past, he said.
Growth is continuing despite the COVID pandemic. “Boy was I wrong,” said Mr. Wade who said he had expected that subdivision lots would slow down.
Instead, there has been a 25 percent increase over a five-year period and a five percent increase over the last year. There has been an increase in both electric and fiber optic customers.
When the fiber optics system was originally envisioned, EPB needed 30,000 customers to make it work. There are now 120,000 fiber customers and 185,000 electric customers. An increase is also coming from the EdConnect program that was established during the pandemic to provide free internet service to low-income homes. There are 7,500 homes connected through EdConnect now and that impacts 12,000 students. “That is a game changer for many families,” said board member Bryan Johnson. "We are approaching a place that broadband is a utility."
How the next generation of the electric grid looks is another trend, and it will redefine how the electric system of the future operates. One item is added resiliency, said Mr. Wade, and a key to achieving this is by increasing storage of electric power. The board approved the purchase of an acre of land for $25,000 in Sale Creek for this purpose. It will be used for battery storage to improve reliability for the customers on that line. One example of how it can be used is that solar power generated by buildings and houses can be stored. And the ability to store the power for longer times will also be needed.
The electric grid in the future will also be handled in a way that is better for the environment, he said.
"When the EPB distribution system was redone 10 years ago, it provided a creative advantage for us," said Mr. Wade. It divided the large electric system into smaller pieces and gives the ability to create “micro grids.” This allows for a small area to be disconnected from the major grid when needed. The EPB grid is dynamic and can change based on what is going on at the time, he said.
On the fiber side of the business, the trend is toward more streaming and EPB is continuing to leverage its assets that were installed years ago. The facilities and technology are already in place, he said.
Both candidates for mayor of Chattanooga have talked about development in the city, and EPB is prepared to support it, and to support equitable service across its service area. Mr. Wade said that on the electric side of the business, electronics are being redone in phases, from the central core all the way to the side of houses and that will increase capacity. He said he sees no limit on the fiber business.
As for equality, he said the EdConnect program has been designed to grow as the community grows or as students move from one level to another. It is designed to be on-going and perpetual.
A challenge will be to do a better job with old houses in low-income communities. The company offers a “Home uplift energy program” to help find energy solutions such as replacing windows or ducts. Mr. Wade said this can impact energy costs by 30-40 percent.
There is a concern about the increase in labor costs for capitol improvements because of the large demand for services in specialized areas such as linemen. Mr. Wade sees a benefit in making students aware of opportunities in the needed trades. One idea is to expose young students to climbing gyms to see if they may be inclined to like to work above ground level.
EPB offered the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to all employees last week, and now about 65 to 75 percent of the workforce have received it.
Mr. Wade said that a large portion of employees have been working from home and it has worked well, especially in some areas such as tech support and for workers needed at call centers during major events. When more people are needed, he said it is easier for them to walk into the next room than come to a call center. When the pandemic ends, more people are expected to continue working from home with the ability to come to the office some days. This gives them the ability to work from both locations.