Municipal and cooperative utilities' No. 1 issue they want to address in 2013 is ratepayer concerns, and completing their existing smart grid deployments will be their highest investment priority, according to a new survey conducted by smart grid communications company Tantalus.
For the Users Conference survey, the company asked more than 40 North American public power utilities to note concerns and investment priorities for next year. The survey found that 42% of respondents declared ratepayer concerns as the most important issue and that 44% said completing their existing smart grid deployments will be their No. 1 investment. In addition, the survey discovered that voltage reduction (46%) and direct load control (35%) are the top two smart grid applications surveyed utilities will implement next year.
“This survey demonstrates what we already know from our experience working with public power utilities for more than a decade - that they are dedicated first and foremost to serving their customers with reliable, cost-effective power,” says Eric Murray, president and CEO of Tantalus. “By adopting energy-saving applications that keep rates down, utilities not only show their commitment to their customers, but they also invest in a cleaner, smarter grid.”
