U.S. utility executives expect investment in so-called "smart grid" technologies and services to rise in 2012, reflecting market-wide interest in driving more efficient and sustainable energy consumption.
According to a survey released this week by research firm Zpryme, 80 percent of energy and utility executives believe overall investment in smart grid technologies will grow this year. Even more (90 percent) believe that support from the federal government is "very important" to the development of a national smart grid infrastructure.
"Utility investments will increase because smart grid technology is the only rational long term strategy to manage the complex requirements of renewables integration, government regulation, emissions requirements and increased stakeholder demands," Phil Davis, senior manager at Schneider Electric Demand Response Resource Center, told Zpryme.
Simultaneously, Davis added, utility companies will need to maintain a degree of reliability and predictability that customers, employees and investors have come to expect.
These imperatives are enhanced by growing demand for clean energy. In California, for example, state utilities are now required to cull one-third of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.
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