It’s been two weeks since I last posted.  My apologies.  It is amazing how dependent we are on technology working.  So I was in Alaska.  Upon my return, the internet was not working.  Then I find out the hard drive on my 1.5 year old computer is crashing and must be replaced, and for whatever reason I cannot find my emails even though they were backed up :(.  Tropical storm Isaac came by.  More travel to Denver.  All the while, I don’t have access to the internet.  It throws a light on the dependency we have on technology.

We all depend on technology.  Much of the increase in productivity experienced in the US in the 1990s, when we made more strides in productivity than any other nation, was due to technology.  It makes our lives easier, delegates repetitive tasks to computers, and can allow us to be more creative.

It got me thinking bout all the ways the utility industry has been a benefactor of technology.  Reports, tracking data, mapping and work orders can all be computerized to permit easier development of operating information.  Water and wastewater plants run better, and more efficiently with technology like variable speed drives and control systems.  Of course they come with a cost – spending money to save money.  When the systems fail, well, that can be a problem.   Kinda like the last two weeks for me….