Pacific Gas & Electric Co is the #1 utility in terms of investment in demand side management (DSM), according to a new industry study.
Research and consulting firm Zpryme examined the level of investment by utilities in DSM over the past 5 years, while taking into account their sales (MWh) and revenue.
The report recognizes that governments and utilities have long sought to improve DSM through conservation and load management programs. While these initiatives achieved some progress, the development of Smart Grids offer more tools and avenues towards improving DSM than any other power sector program or technological advancement in the last 30 years.
Smart Grids are expected to revolutionize DSM by providing utilities with a flood of data that will improve the management of transmission grids and allowing flexible, consumption-driven pricing schemes that will level power distribution curves.
The top ten U.S. power utilities by demand side management investment, as rated by Zpryme, are:
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co
- Southern California Edison Co
- Florida Power & Light Co
- San Diego Gas & Electric Co
- New York Power Authority
- Public Service Electric & Gas Co
- Baltimore Gas & Electric Co
- Massachusetts Electric Co
- PacifiCorp
- Progress Energy Florida Inc
"Two key near term benefits of Smart Grids for utilities are operational and asset efficiency, along with improved reliability and quality of electrical service," said Allan Schurr of IBM Global Energy and Utilities. "Smart meters will enable their consumers to use energy more efficiently. Finally, Smart Grids will improve the reliability and lower the cost of incorporating significantamounts of renewable energy supplies."
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