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Southington’s ties to America’s energy
by Roger Dietz
The energy demand in Ameri- ca continues to increase and the methods of generating and dis- tributing energy are decades old and antiquated. Like America’s crumbling road systems, Amer- ica’s energy infrastructure is in dire need of major improvements. The growing need for electricity, gas, solar, and oil to power Amer- ica’s future was recently the sub- ject of discussion among leading energy firms.
box permanently affixed to a wall with a cord attached to a clunky handset, says Michael. “After the breakup of this monopoly, private companies entered the industry and brought us the very sophis- ticated multi-functional techno- logical devices virtually every- one has today. This is the type of innovation that no one could have even imagined decades ear- lier. There were some people and companies that made fortunes in Telecom along this journey. This is the type of Energy Renaissance America needs to power the next generation.”
My conversation with Mr. Fer- reri detailed the obstacles and opportunities for the next gen-
The search for answers to
America’s Energy Future was
examined by a handful of En-
ergy Industry Professionals that
convened at the White House.
Among those invited to attend this high-level ener- gy meeting was Southington businessman, Michael Ferreri. He is the owner of Corporate Risk Solutions, specializing in Commercial-Industrial insurance & risk Management for the Propane, Oil, Natural Gas and Power Industry. Mr. Ferreri also serves on the Board of Directors and has an ownership interest in a Connecticut Power & Gas Company supplying the Mid-Atlantic and North East regions in 21 Utilities. Michael was invited to the White House along with 15 other Energy Experts from around the country to discuss some of the obstacles facing the industry and possible solutions with White House Director & National Economic Advisor, Larry Kudlow. After the meeting, President Trump signed an Executive Order Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Eco- nomic Growth. Looming large in the discussions were Infrastructure Investment and privatization of the Energy Grid. “When private companies are able to earn revenue, innovation will spread across those sectors, says Michael. “There needs to be the right mix of regulation and privatization for innovation to take place; and innovation is what the American en- ergy industry needs.” One of the main topics at the table was the many Federal and State Regulations that burden private companies from entering the energy industry. Michael explained that the Tele- com Industry is a recent example of how extraordi- nary innovation can enter an industry quickly! “Be- fore the breakup of Ma Bell, we had a large plastic
SouthingtonMag.com
MICHAEL V. FERRERI
eration in Energy. Like Telecom, one wonders which new startup will be the next Apple or Samsung of Energy, it very well could be them too. It may be years, perhaps decades before the kind of innova- tions we have witnessed in other sectors, manifests itself in Energy. However, I’m glad to see that there are Industry leaders discussing possible solutions and I’m proud to know that we have one advocate in Southington that is part of the conversation.
LARRY KUDLOW
Director of the National Economic Council
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