Utilities, PV industry and governments are to meet at senior level to develop PV strategies.

The situation facing electric utility companies today is very different from that in 1990, when the first executive conference on Photovoltaic Systems for Electric Utility Applications was held in Taormina, Italy. Perhaps the most profound change is the emergence of deregulation and competition in the utility industry, particularly in the United States and Europe.

Utility companies are trying to understand how to best position themselves for the future, and how to retain their customer base and attract new customers. Photovoltaic power systems have much to offer in this regard. As part of the IEA  PVPS Programme, the United States Department of Energy, the Idaho Power Company and the Edison Electric Institute have agreed to join with PVPS to organize and international conference to be held in September 1995 in Sun Valley, Idaho. This conference will prove an unique international forum for a dialogue among senior executives in the electric utility industry, the photovoltaic industry and government policy-makers. Participation will be by invitation only.

The Sun Valley Conference will focus on the emerging PV business opportunities for electric utilities in meeting diverse electric service needs. The conference will clarify the value adding of PV in a competitive utility environment and give insight into the advantages of international cooperation. Special attention will be given to restructuring and competition in the utility market, to non-technical constraints, and to the global market opportunities for utility companies using photovoltaic technologies.

A special issue of PV power will be published to report on the conference.

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