Smart grid evolution expanding

• 12 years ago (2011-09-14)
• David Flin

North America 998

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Brian Wolff, Senior Vice President of External Affairs for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), said that 25 million advanced meters are currently installed at residences in the USA, with projections of the total reaching 65 million by 2015, representing almost half of US households.

Thomas Kuhn, President of the EEI, said that while utilities face challenges about data privacy or consumer concerns about higher costs or possible negative health effects of advanced meters, “the march of technology will be inevitable”, and smart grid technologies will spawn applications that make consumers’ lives better.

Seth Frader-Thompson, CEO of EnergyHub, said that most of the energy management devices being sold to customers do not come from utilities, but from other firms. He said: “These companies are monetising utility customers, and offering services and technologies to customers, while utilities and regulators debate the utility business model and how much access to data customers should have.”

Ron Binz, Principal at Public Policy Consulting, said that because utilities are so heavily regulated and generally risk averse, there will be lots of intermediaries working between utilities and their customers.