Driven by Demand: How Energy Gets its Power

Energy plays a central role in shaping our society and infrastructure, making it increasingly important for today's leaders to understand the impact of energy decisions. Discussions about energy often neglect important historical lessons about previous energy transformations and provide inadequate consideration of context - Driven by Demand takes a fresh approach by exploring the emergence of energy systems, outcomes and priorities. It outlines select historical and current events, challenges, and developing energy trends using a range of case studies. Readers will gain foundational knowledge about energy flows and end-uses, helping them to become more conversant about energy outcomes and priorities. This accessible book paves the way for broader discussions about societal resilience, privacy, and security concerns associated with the move towards 'smart' infrastructure. This is a must-read for business executives, policymakers and students working in energy policy, energy management and sustainable business.

Table of Contents:
Part I. Introduction: 1. You get what you ask for; Part II. Three Frameworks: 2. Energy: the product; 3. Energy: the delivery system; 4. Energy: the value proposition; Part III. Critical Decisions: 5. The international Niagara commission of 1891; 6. Trash as treasure; 7. Paying for pavement; 8. Heat, without the hot air; 9. The collision of two critical infrastructures; Part IV. Energy Futurism: 10. Towards better management of energy infrastructures; 11. Risk management in energy; 12. Resilience as a core value; 13. Exploring energy security; 14. Energy-as-a-service; Part V. Societal Advancement: 15. Bringing it all together; References; Index.

About the Author :
Jimmy Y. Jia leads the Sustainable Energy Solutions Certificate program at Pinchot University, a year-long course that educates MBA students on how to incorporate energy issues into the decision making process. Together with Jason Crabtree, he founded Distributed Energy Management to help business owners transparently manage utility costs via a money management account, combining total lifecycle costs of operational and capital expenses. He has been passionate about promoting energy literacy and understanding how energy consumption affects our society since his time as a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jimmy Y. Jia leads the Sustainable Energy Solutions Certificate program at Pinchot University, a year-long course that educates MBA students on how to incorporate energy issues into the decision making process. Together with Jason Crabtree, he founded Distributed Energy Management to help business owners transparently manage utility costs via a money management account, combining total lifecycle costs of operational and capital expenses. He has been passionate about promoting energy literacy and understanding how energy consumption affects our society since his time as a student at M.I.T. Jason Crabtree is the CEO of Rationem, a bespoke analysis, advisory and technology firm, and Chairman of Distributed Energy Management. He is a risk management and complex adaptive systems aficionado with a strong focus on the nexus of information, energy, security, and technology. He maintains deep involvement in energy, cybersecurity, and national security strategy and policy. He is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, an Afghanistan veteran, and a Rhodes Scholar.

Review :
'This is a brilliant, wide-ranging book about energy that explains in clear and compelling terms 'how we got here', the critical challenges facing our planet's citizens, and what to do about them. It should be on the top of the stack for policymakers involved in energy, defense, or infrastructure issues.' David E. Johnson, RAND Corporation 'Driven by Demand provides compelling insight into the ongoing transformation of the electric power system. The articulation of the march towards increased customer control in real time with more transparency, resiliency, and interoperability is an excellent resource for industry professionals, regulators, and consumers.' Phillip G. Harris, Chair, President and CEO of PJM (1992–2007) and presently Chair, President and CEO of Tres Amigas  'Jia and Crabtree have put forward a succinct view of where and how the power sector can move forward. While their ideas are very relevant to the developed power markets, they have presented elements that are also critical to emerging markets. Their thoughts on distributed control provide insights that can enable the electricity sectors of less-developed markets to skip forward, with some similarities to what cellular did to the fixed-line telephony industry.' Dale W. Perry, Vice President and Regional Director for Russia and Central Asia for the AES Corporation (2003–2008) and presently Managing Partner with Energy Resources of Ukraine (ERU) 'At last, a well-written, easy to understand book that tells us what is really going on with our energy systems. This book provides a deep but accessible understanding that leads to good decisions. Revealed are the levers for better energy policy and the business opportunities waiting to be seized.' Gifford Pinchot III, co-founder of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (now Pinchot University) 'Driven by Demand is an important contribution to the ongoing story of how energy resources and energy policy impact our world. The book explores, and explains, a wide range of issues related to the critical role energy plays in modern life. It should be required reading for anyone claiming to be an energy expert.' Steve Kromer, Director, Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO)