March 23, 2010 01:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative Forms to Foster Consumer
Adoption of the Smart Grid
Control4, General Electric, GridWise Alliance, IBM, Magnolia/Best Buy, Office of the Ohio
Consumers’ Counsel, Silver Spring Networks and Other Industry Leaders Align to Help
Consumers Participate In and Benefit From the Smart Grid
TAMPA, Fla. & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To help build consumer acceptance and use of the
smart grid, a group of smart grid leaders today announced the formation of the Smart Grid Consumer
Collaborative (SGCC). The founding members of the SGCC include consumer electronics and technology
companies, retailers, consumer advocacy groups, and utilities dedicated to maximizing the value of the
grid for consumers.
Launched at DistribuTECH, which is the nation’s largest gathering of energy utilities and technologists,
the SGCC will work to understand consumer needs and preferences, reach out to build awareness and
educate consumers about the benefits of the smart grid, and share best practices for consumer
engagement and empowerment.
The SGCC has three priorities:
1. In-depth research on consumer awareness, acceptance, and use of the smart grid with
emphasis on their needs, preferences and priorities
2. Outreach and education to allow consumers to better understand the smart grid, its issues
and its potential
3. Development of best practices to involve and empower consumers in the roll out of smart grid
technologies
The federal stimulus program for the smart grid will reach more than $4 billion and by 2015, nearly half of
all North American consumers will have next generation smart meters. The SGCC wants to ensure these
investments engage consumers and deliver the energy efficiency and the savings promised. Consumer
adoption of the new technology and services being deployed is the key to the success of the smart grid.
“For many reasons -- energy independence, energy efficiency, integrating renewables, accommodating
electric vehicles, and global competitiveness -- we must modernize our electric system. But we can't do
that without the support and involvement of the ultimate customer,” said Jesse Berst, acting Executive
Director of the SGCC. “We formed the SGCC to bring important stakeholders together to do the
necessary research, education and collaboration to make sure we include the consumer in the
conversation.”
Members from Industry to Consumer Advocacy
The SGCC launched today with founding member companies that span key stakeholder groups, including
utilities, technology and consumer electronics companies, retailers, and consumer advocates.
Magnolia/Best Buy
Control4
Ember
General Electric (GE)
GridWise Alliance (GWA)
IBM
NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC)
Silver Spring Networks (SSN)
Additionally the Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (www.drsgcoalition.org) and the Future of
Privacy Forum (http://www.futureofprivacy.org/) have joined as affiliate members, contributing resources
to the SGCC.
Other founding members include in kind members Stoel Rives LLP, SutherlandGold Group, and the
HEAT agency
The Smart Grid and Consumers
The cross-industry initiative started after Control4, a leader in affordable IP-based home control systems
and newcomer to the smart grid space, recognized a common concern emerging from partners,
customers, and smart grid conferences; that the industry wasn’t equipped to understand and support
consumer reactions to the technology upgrade. In just a few months’ time, the concept to bring industry
leaders together to take on smart grid consumer education became a reality in the formation of the nonprofit organization, the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative. The broad representation of the group and
support from established smart grid and consumer advocacy organizations reinforces the importance of
the SGCC’s mission.
“There’s been intense work and focus on the technology, energy efficiency and economic advancements
the smart grid enables, but if we as an industry don’t turn our attention to the consumer, to drive
participation and acceptance, the real promise of the smart grid, energy independence, can never be
realized,“ said Richard Walker, President, Control4 Energy Systems.
“The smart grid is of critical importance to the future of the United States. The Smart Grid Consumer
Collaborative will help its member companies to further the transformation of our power grid by focusing
specifically on the energy consumer,” said Guido Bartels, General Manager of Energy and Utilities at
IBM. "Along with our utility clients we have long been looking at ways to empower consumers to make
informed decisions, so taking on a founding role with this collaborative is a logical next step for IBM."
“Around the world, countries, including the United States, are realizing the clear need to modernize our
electrical infrastructure to support the energy demands of our 21st Century society,” said Bob Gilligan,
vice president, GE Energy Services. “A smarter electricity grid will enable us to integrate and optimize
more renewable energy such as wind and solar, as well as plug-in electric vehicles. It will also increase
power reliability and operational efficiencies to deliver greater productivity both for the utility and the
consumer. It will empower consumers to manage their energy usage and save money without
compromising their lifestyle. To make this smarter grid a reality, informing and engaging consumers is
critical. The SGCC is an opportunity for key stakeholders to work together to better understand consumer
needs and articulate the value and benefits of a smart grid for consumers."
“It is crucial that all stakeholders can work cooperatively to move our industrial-age electric grid into the
information age,” said Katherine Hamilton, President GridWise Alliance. “We have reached a point of
deployment where consumers are as important an ingredient as the technology that backs the system
and the dollars that fund the modernization of this nation’s new energy economy. The GridWise Alliance
is looking forward to participating in the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative to help consumers reap the
benefits of the smart grid.” The GridWise Alliance is a coalition of 125 organizations advocating for the
deployment of a smarter grid for the public good.
“There is a tremendous amount of change going on in the electric world,” said Janine MigdenOstrander, Ohio’s Consumers’ Counsel. “The availability of carefully designed programs that can
benefit residential consumers is key to providing them additional choices and giving them more control
over their energy consumption. But education will be a key component to making the smart grid a useful
consumer tool. We are excited to work with the SGCC, to share our knowledge and draw from the
expertise the collaborative will offer.” The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the residential
utility consumer advocate, represents the interests of 4.5 million Ohio households in proceedings before
state and federal regulators and in the courts.
For more information about the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, visit www.smartgridcc.org.