Getting to Know Your Experts: Ron Yoshimura, Principal Consultant at UDC – [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Expert Interview]

As a GIS-focused expert in Energy Central’s Digital Utility Group, Ron is back once again to provide some deeper insights as we catch up with him on the state of the industry and what decisionmakers across the power sector should be tracking with. Keep reading to see how Ron pulls pack the layers and makes GIS accessible and imperative.

Enjoy!

Matt Chester: Over your extensive career in developing GIS products and implementing GIS projects for utilities, what significant shifts or advancements have you witnessed in the role of GIS within the utility sector, and how do you see GIS evolving in the years to come?

Ron Yoshimura: As large investor-owned utilities engage in mergers and acquisitions, there’s a growing focus on reducing maintenance and operational costs by consolidating disparate GIS products into unified platforms. Concurrently, GIS models and technologies are evolving to facilitate advanced downstream applications like Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS).

MC: Given your involvement in GIS consolidation projects for large utilities, what challenges do utilities typically encounter during the consolidation process, and what strategies have you found effective in overcoming these challenges?

RY: When operating companies merge, they often bring along disparate software products, including GIS, to which they are accustomed. Embracing change can be challenging, but with the support of a dedicated Change Management team, the consolidation process becomes smoother. Effective change management plays a crucial role in identifying disparities between software products and existing business processes. By pinpointing these differences, it becomes possible to tailor training programs to address the specific needs of employees transitioning to new software and processes.

MC: As utilities increasingly prioritize grid modernization efforts, what emerging trends or technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on enhancing grid management and operational efficiency in the near future?

RY: Many utilities have an outage management system (OMS) but are now looking to implement ADMS applications.  ADMS applications such as Fault Location Isolation and Service Restoration (FLISR) can help reduce outage durations and scope.  Volt Var Optimization and Control can help utilities save significant amounts in operating cost by injecting optimal amounts of energy into the distribution grid.

MC: Looking ahead, how do you foresee the role of GIS evolving within the context of broader utility digital transformation initiatives, and what opportunities do you see for leveraging GIS data to drive innovation and improve utility performance?

RY: As GIS models advance, they are increasingly supporting advanced applications in electric, gas, and water/wastewater sectors. With the continuous evolution of high-fidelity GIS models, utilities are turning to GIS as the primary source of data for these sophisticated applications. In the future, GIS will play a crucial role in providing the interconnected network and attribute information necessary to support a wide range of advanced applications.

MC: As utilities continue to embrace advanced technologies and digital solutions, what advice would you offer to utility professionals seeking to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape and maximize the value of their digital investments?

RY: Explore a field of interest and embrace emerging technologies within it. Dive deep into your chosen domain, striving for mastery. With increasing experience, you’ll uncover the intricate connections between technologies and grasp the broader landscape they collectively shape. In addition, utility professionals may consider engaging a partner experienced in enterprise integration and architecting solutions that can unleash the full potential of their digital investments. The best partners for today’s utilities are ones that not only display expertise in the systems and technologies being adopted by energy organizations, but ones that demonstrate real-world understanding of the utility’s unique business processes and the data relied upon for providing clean, safe, reliable energy.

MC: With your experience and expertise, what do you believe are the most critical factors for utilities to consider when evaluating and implementing new grid management technologies, and how can they ensure successful adoption and integration into existing systems?

RY: I believe utilities should take into account the following factors when assessing new grid management products:

1. Integration of products such as Outage Management Systems (OMS), Distribution Management Systems (DMS), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
2. Adoption of a user interface that is either identical or similar across platforms, utilizing modern interface technologies.
3. Preferably, a unified model that can accommodate the advanced grid management needs of the utility.
4. Implementation of robust redundancy measures and efficient failover methods.

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Thanks to Ron for joining me for this interview and for providing a wealth of insights and expertise to the Energy Central Community. You can trust that Ron will be available for you to reach out and connect, ask questions, and more as an Energy Central member, so be sure to make him feel welcome when you see her across the platform.

The other expert interviews that we’ve completed in this series can be read here, and if you are interested in becoming an expert, you can reach out to me or you can apply here.