In between all of the presidential tweets, catastrophic rain storms, fires and hurricanes, sexual harassment scandals, and Bitcoin mania, it is sometimes hard to remember that technological change is accelerating and, as it does, the world continues to evolve. Over the past year, a number of developments have occurred but below are ten which I…

The science fiction writer William Gibson once wrote: “The future is here. It just isn’t evenly distributed.” It’s a powerful insight because it implies that savvy business people, farsighted political leaders and even average citizens can discern the future if only they heed today’s emerging trends. Five current trends, in particular, appear poised to transform…

This article, Futurist Jack Uldrich Shares 7 Trends Shaping the Future of Energy Efficiency, and the accompanying 3-minute video provide an excellent summary of the keynote talk I recently delivered in Austin, Texas at CLEAResult’s annual summit in Austin, Texas.

We live in amazing times and our world is about to become even more amazing in the near future due to a plethora of game changing technologies. To understand why, it first helps to consider just a few of the technologies and trends that did not make my list: 3D printers, flying drones, low-cost robotics,…

From the outside, the utility industry may appear to slow, cumbersome and resistant to change. These characterizations may or may not be fair, but I do know the industry is poised for extraordinary change in the years ahead and that what has served the industry well in the past won’t be sufficient for remaining competitive…

As a professional futurist and business forecaster one of my main responsibilities is to prepare people and organizations for the future. To do this, I try to heighten their awareness. There are a number of ways to accomplish this goal but the best and most powerful method is to simply be on the alert for…

In 1978, Congress was convinced the United States was running out of natural gas so it passed the Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act (FUA). A decade later the law was overturned as vast new sources of natural gas were found. In 2003, the National Petroleum Council estimated North America might have 1.1 trillion…

Over the past few months, I have delivered keynote addresses (on the topic of emerging trends) to a number of utility-related organizations across the country. In addition to covering technological advances in advanced batteries, fuel cell and solar technology, I explain how new business models are also fueling the trend toward decentralized, distributed energy. On…

This article (Co-ops Told to Prepare for New Technologies) offers a solid recap of my keynote presentation at the 2012 Touchstone Energy New & Emerging Technologies Conference. To emphasize the point that big change is coming for the utility industry, consider this paragraph from India’s Panel Price Crash Could Spark Solar Revolution: Recent figures from…

Corning Glass has created an impressive 11 minute video that offers a real “window” into the future. If you have the time, I highly recommend it … especially if you’re in the automotive, buildings & construction, education and/or health care industries: