washington business
In Their Words
Spokane-based Avista Corp . began operations 128 years ago as Washington Water Power Company , when Washington was still a territory . Today , it ’ s stronger than ever , working in the production , transmission and distribution of energy while making key investments in the local community . Avista is also leading the charge to rethink how cities can incorporate smart technology to improve energy efficiency and infrastructure planning , and build on the company ’ s and Spokane community ’ s legacy of sustainability through its partnership in the Urbanova pilot project . Scott Morris , Avista ’ s board chairman and president and CEO , spoke with staff writer Bobbi Cussins about Avista ’ s focus on collaboration and innovation , the company ’ s recent acquisition by Hydro One and its continued commitment to the Spokane area and the state ’ s shared environmental values .
How has technology influenced change within the utility industry ?
The utility industry is evolving and changing . What I mean by that is the machine that was voted the most important machine created in the 20th century by the National Association of Engineering Professionals was the electric grid . That grid , for the most part , was designed to be an analog grid . We ’ ve now begun a process of digitizing it , starting with transmission and generation , and finally digitizing the distribution system . Because of that , the technology you can start putting on electric grids is sensor technology , seeing things in real time , and not just with smart meters , but with smart devices . Add to that the robust communications systems we are building to support that type of technology and all the new distributive energy , which is primarily solar , it really is beginning to evolve to be a new day for utilities , not just in Spokane , but across the country .
What is Avista ’ s role in Urbanova , the “ smart city ” pilot project in Spokane ?
What ’ s really exciting for us about the Urbanova pilot project is the whole “ smart city ” concept . What we decided to do was to take the idea of a smart city , which other cities are looking into , and condense it into 770 acres of Spokane ’ s University District . We wanted the project area to be both wide and deep and we wanted to do a lot of experiments to truly make it a living laboratory and have it thrive around Avista ’ s history of innovation and our innovation gene . We ’ ve started so many cutting-edge companies that I think we understand innovation pretty well . So , we created Urbanova to find partners to look at this new , digitized world of the
Scott Morris
“ Our portfolio is extremely green and it ’ s very intentional on our part to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions . That ’ s who we are and that ’ s our legacy .”
electric grid and communications networks and see how we can use that in a way that isn ’ t just for energy , but many other opportunities in a community .
What do you mean when you talk about a “ smart city ” and what can it do to improve communities ?
The goals of Urbanova , in partnership with Avista , the City of Spokane , McKinstry , Itron , the University District Development Association and Washington State University , are to use technology to create healthier communities , safer neighborhoods , smarter infrastructure , a more sustainable environment and a stronger economy . What we ’ re asking is , can an electric grid do all these things and what do these new opportunities mean for communities ? A lot of the smart city concept has to do with sensor technology connected to robust communications networks . One great example to achieve a cleaner environment is we are putting in place smart street lights that have sensors and know when there ’ s people under them , so they brighten , and when no one is there , they dim . Also , Washington State University engineers designed air quality sensors that we put around the pilot project area , so that in real time the engineers are measuring air quality . What ’ s been really interesting
20 association of washington business