New Business Model for Our Power Utilities?

According to SmartGridNews, there is a pilot project in Maryland and Washington DC to bring about “a transition by electric utilities… to new business relationships with their customers, regulators, and competitors that would better align utility compensation with consumer benefit…” 

I’d love to think that we’re close to a bold new business model for our utilities, as it’s desperately needed, but I’m having trouble believing that; utilities are extremely conservative institutions that have also shown us a full century of dogged resistance to change.  Having said that, they’re under enormous pressure based on several factors that include slowing load growth, as the world becomes more energy efficient and ramps up distributed generation. 

 I’m reminded of the “irresistible force paradox,” i.e., “What happens when an irresistible force meets an unmovable object?”