Nontraditional planning for nontraditional times: just what should planners minimize?

Electric utilities have seen a number of changes in both the business and customer landscape in which they work as well as many shifts in the manner from which they are regulated. These have changed the basis of values and priorities for T&D utilities, and thus for their planners. As a result, transmission and distribution planners have to adjust to a different mix of priorities and a different focus in achieving "optimum" performance. This paper looks at the major changes and uses a "cultural balance" perspective to outline big changes that planners must adopt.