It makes my head hurt...

That's what most people say when they talk about energy markets.  They don't like to think about the topic, especially if they're in the business of buying electricity or trying to plan their energy budget.  Electricity is a volatile commodity-- and you can't see it or touch it or feel it-- you pay for it after you use it.  How could anyone make sense of it?

So you can imagine how it feels to work in the field.  I remember being at a wedding reception once.  Someone had the poor judgment to ask what I do for a living.  I started to explain.  Within minutes, I was the only one at the table.  A friend rolled by and said "What happened, did you start talking about your work again?"

It is only recently that energy has become fashionable.  But only if the word energy is preceded by "renewable".  And it is in large part due to a greater awareness of energy security issues and climate change.  Energy is a highly relevant, important topic particularly now that we are in the midst of a fossil fuel-fired recession.  No one's head should hurt when discussing it.  There should be a simple way for large and small customers to view consumption, make informed decisions about electricity costs, and plan energy budgets.

There are big changes coming to the energy industry-- that will be customer-driven.  In order for these changes to occur, people need to visualize their usage and then understand the cost implications.  No one is doing all of that yet.  Electricity markets have been de-regulated for over ten years, and yet no one has created the energy equivalent of the iPhone or the Blackberry.  Until we do, those of us in the industry will be sitting alone, talking to ourselves.