Smart Grid has been heralded by many as a key component to solving our energy challenges, from
renewable integration and energy security to revitalized technology manufacturing and job creation.
While much of the discussion has centered on the supply and infrastructure side, there’s a lot of
progress that could be made, industry-wide, on one critical element: the human side.
A burning question plaguing Smart Grid stakeholders today is “how do we educate consumers?”
Survey after survey reveal with fairly consistent results that approximately two-thirds to three-
quarters of Americans have never even heard the term Smart Grid, let alone understand what it
could mean for them.
While educated consumers tend to be positive about the benefits of Smart Grid, many consumers
have revealed concerns about privacy, loss of control, and bill accuracy. On top of that, the
challenges faced by Baltimore Gas & Electric and other major utilities across the country have likely
left many wondering, “how much will Smart Grid cost me, what value will it deliver, and how long will
I have to wait to realize those benefits?”
It’s clear that Smart Grid faces a bit of a marketing (or public relations) challenge.
Most who understand Smart Grid would agree that it is pivotal in helping us solve some of our
greatest energy challenges. Many would also agree that we can’t do it without the support of energy
consumers. There are even industry groups that exist today with the mission of educating and
understanding Smart Grid consumers.
Like any good marketing campaign, education and outreach must rest on a solid foundation of
understanding – and that understanding goes both ways. Getting there requires conversation,
understanding, and collaboration.
Defining the “consumer”: One critical question I find myself asking is “Who is the Smart
Grid consumer?” Often defined in a residential context, I would argue that reaching the
consumer at home and at work (in a commercial and industrial context) has the potential to
make a much broader impact. If we consider consumers to be “any individual at the point of
consumption”, we’ll not only have more opportunities for education and engagement, but
also more opportunities for innovation and market expansion.
Engagement and dialogue: Two-way communication with consumers will be critical to Smart
Grid success. With a clear understanding of consumer motivations, we will likely see clear
market “segments” emerge (for example, those motivated by savings versus those motivated
by environmental considerations). This will ultimately help the broader industry create Smart
Grid solutions that consumers will race to embrace.
Industry-wide collaboration: The Smart Grid space is brimming with stakeholders who have
the consumer’s best interests in mind. From regulators to consumer advocates, and even the
mainstream media, there are many voices influencing how consumers perceive Smart Grid.
Only through industry-wide collaboration among consumer “influencers” can we expect to
successfully reach and relate to this target audience.
Education: Armed with a clear picture of our consumer audience, an understanding of what
drives them, and a network of industry-wide (and cross-industry) supporters, the industry
can begin effective outreach and education. But the ultimate success will be measured in
how well the industry delivers consumer value. Long-term consumer engagement will depend
on innovative products and solutions that consumers will race to embrace.
Empowering our energy future through conversation, collaboration and education
Recognizing the issues and challenges involved in educating and engaging energy consumers,
Clasma Events has taken the opportunity to leverage the gathering of industry-wide Smart Grid
stakeholders at GridWeek to address and discuss this topic.
This conference will offer multiple collaborative sessions dedicated to fostering consumer dialogue,
communicating Smart Grid benefits, encouraging consumer buy-in, and understanding the consumer
side of the meter. Participants and speakers will represent the complete diversity of Smart Grid
stakeholders, including consumer advocates, regulators, energy users, technology companies,
policymakers, and utilities.
Consumers complete the Smart Grid puzzle
Consumer acceptance and demand for Smart Grid technologies will ultimately ease the minds of
regulators and consumer advocates when it comes to future Smart Grid investments, while making
the transition smoother for utilities. If we do this right, I predict we’ll see a technology revolution.
Consumer-facing innovations rivaling cell phones, Kindles and hand-held GPS devices are likely
to emerge. From this position, we’ll see the development of markets that will fuel the Smart Grid
industry and consumer engagement now, and into the future.
The need for industry collaboration has never been stronger, and the time is now to rally industry
stakeholders around a clear, cohesive consumer campaign – one that starts with conversation and
consumer understanding.

Smart Grid has been heralded by many as a key component to solving our energy challenges, from renewable integration and energy security to revitalized technology manufacturing and job creation. While much of the discussion has centered on the supply and infrastructure side, there’s a lot of progress that could be made, industry-wide, on one critical element: the human side.

A burning question plaguing Smart Grid stakeholders today is “how do we educate consumers?” Survey after survey reveal with fairly consistent results that approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of Americans have never even heard the term Smart Grid, let alone understand what it could mean for them.

While educated consumers tend to be positive about the benefits of Smart Grid, many consumers have revealed concerns about privacy, loss of control, and bill accuracy. On top of that, the challenges faced by Baltimore Gas & Electric and other major utilities across the country have likely left many wondering, “how much will Smart Grid cost me, what value will it deliver, and how long will have to wait to realize those benefits?”

It’s clear that Smart Grid faces a bit of a marketing (or public relations) challenge.

Most who understand Smart Grid would agree that it is pivotal in helping us solve some of our greatest energy challenges. Many would also agree that we can’t do it without the support of energy consumers. There are even industry groups that exist today with the mission of educating and understanding Smart Grid consumers.

Like any good marketing campaign, education and outreach must rest on a solid foundation of understanding – and that understanding goes both ways. Getting there requires conversation, understanding, and collaboration.

Defining the “consumer”: One critical question I find myself asking is “Who is the Smart Grid consumer?” Often defined in a residential context, I would argue that reaching the consumer at home and at work (in a commercial and industrial context) has the potential to make a much broader impact. If we consider consumers to be “any individual at the point of consumption”, we’ll not only have more opportunities for education and engagement, but also more opportunities for innovation and market expansion.

Engagement and dialogue: Two-way communication with consumers will be critical to Smart Grid success. With a clear understanding of consumer motivations, we will likely see clear market “segments” emerge (for example, those motivated by savings versus those motivated by environmental considerations). This will ultimately help the broader industry create Smart Grid solutions that consumers will race to embrace.

Industry-wide collaboration: The Smart Grid space is brimming with stake holders who have the consumer’s best interests in mind. From regulators to consumer advocates, and even the mainstream media, there are many voices influencing how consumers perceive Smart Grid. Only through industry-wide collaboration among consumer “influencers” can we expect to successfully reach and relate to this target audience.

Education: Armed with a clear picture of our consumer audience, an understanding of what
drives them, and a network of industry-wide (and cross-industry) supporters, the industry can begin effective outreach and education. But the ultimate success will be measured in how well the industry delivers consumer value. Long-term consumer engagement will depend on innovative products and solutions that consumers will race to embrace.

Empowering our energy future through conversation, collaboration and education

Recognizing the issues and challenges involved in educating and engaging energy consumers, Clasma Events has taken the opportunity to leverage the gathering of industry-wide Smart Grid stakeholders at GridWeek to address and discuss this topic.

This conference will offer multiple collaborative sessions dedicated to fostering consumer dialogue, communicating Smart Grid benefits, encouraging consumer buy-in, and understanding the consumer side of the meter. Participants and speakers will represent the complete diversity of Smart Grid stakeholders, including consumer advocates, regulators, energy users, technology companies, policymakers, and utilities.

Consumers complete the Smart Grid puzzle


Consumer acceptance and demand for Smart Grid technologies will ultimately ease the minds of regulators and consumer advocates when it comes to future Smart Grid investments, while making the transition smoother for utilities. If we do this right, I predict we’ll see a technology revolution. Consumer-facing innovations rivaling cell phones, Kindles and hand-held GPS devices are likely to emerge. From this position, we’ll see the development of markets that will fuel the Smart Grid industry and consumer engagement now, and into the future.

The need for industry collaboration has never been stronger, and the time is now to rally industry stakeholders around a clear, cohesive consumer campaign – one that starts with conversation and consumer understanding.