GE’s
Digital Energy business (NYSE:GE) today released the results of its Grid
Resiliency Survey, measuring the U.S. public’s current perception of
the power grid, its experiences and future expectations. The survey was
implemented following a very active 2014 winter storm season that led to
several power outages, impacting millions of Americans.
According to the survey, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of GE in May
and June, among more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and over, 41 percent
of Americans living east of the Mississippi River are more willing to
pay an additional $10 per month to ensure the grid is more reliable
compared to 34 percent of those living west of the Mississippi. The
survey also found that in the past 12 months, consumers living east of
the Mississippi experienced nearly three times more power outages on
average than those living west of the Mississippi (3.1 vs. 1.3). Of all
adults in the U.S. who experienced an outage, more than half (56
percent) were without power for at least one hour during their most
recent outage.
“The survey results are an indicator that consumers want to invest in
technology to prevent power outages and reduce the time it takes their
local utility to restore power,” said John McDonald, director of
technical strategy and policy development, GE’s Digital Energy business.
“We live in an on-demand world that depends on electricity—one where
productivity, food, entertainment and even chores can be achieved with
the touch of a button. Our appetite for automatic is so great that
millions of American adults would be willing to pay more on their
utility bills to maintain their electrified lifestyles.”
Consumer Expectations
Overall, consumers expect more value from their utility providers.
Eighty-two percent of utility customers in the U.S. would like their
utility to do more to encourage energy conservation and share ideas to
improve energy efficiency in their homes. Meanwhile, 81 percent of
utility customers expect their utility provider to use higher levels of
renewable energy such as electricity produced from solar, wind and
geothermal biogas in the future to meet their energy needs. These
findings indicate that consumers want utilities to play a bigger role
providing energy conservation tips and continue to value renewable
energy as a source of clean power.
Consumers’ grid expectations are not limited to energy management alone.
More than half of utility customers (52 percent) become frustrated when
they’re without electricity for an hour or less. If a power outage
occurs and consumers’ electronic devices are not charged, nearly half of
U.S. adults (39 percent) also would be frustrated with the absence of
their smartphones, with laptops following closely behind (25 percent).
Digital Communications
As energy consumers’ expectations evolve, so does the way they
communicate with utilities. In the event of a power outage, 70 percent
of U.S. adults would prefer to communicate with their utilities
digitally or online, whether calling them from cell phones and
smartphones (60 percent), sending text messages (14 percent), contacting
via utility websites (11 percent) or sending an email (9 percent).
Conversely, 36 percent of U.S. adults still prefer to communicate with
their utilities via a traditional land line.
“As our expectations for up-to-the-minute data increases, consumers will
demand that utilities leverage digital communication and social media
tools to keep them informed in real time,” added McDonald. “To meet this
growing demand, domestic and global utilities have an opportunity to
partner with consumers to better understand how their digital lifestyles
are shaping their energy consumption habits.”
Consumer Concerns
In looking at the root cause of power outages, 50 percent of U.S. adults
believe natural disasters and weather-related events are the greatest
threat to the U.S. power grid. This threat is most evident for those in
the Northeast, with 61 percent of U.S. adults in this region claiming
weather as the greatest threat to the grid compared to 48 percent in the
South and Midwest and 43 percent in the West.
“Natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and the
recent polar vortices highlighted the challenges utilities face
providing power to meet high energy demand. They also revealed the
reliability challenges utilities experience when the U.S. electrical
grid is under extreme stress,” said McDonald. “With summer season
underway—and the potential tornados, droughts and hurricanes that come
with it—utilities should ask themselves if they are any more prepared to
handle this stress.”
The Utility of the Future
Some power providers already are anticipating and planning for the grid
of the future through grid modernization strategies—essentially an
“energy Internet” delivering real-time information and knowledge to
empower consumers.
“21st century consumers are more sophisticated and expect
reliable power 24 hours a day to support their power-hungry lifestyles,”
added McDonald. “Moreover, when there is a power outage, consumers
expect their utility to communicate effectively and provide real-time
updates on power restoration progress. Leveraging big data, minimizing
recovery times and optimizing renewable energy will be key for utilities
to meet consumers’ evolving needs.”
To learn more about actions utilities can take before, during and after
an outage, click
here. An infographic that summarizes consumer trends and
expectations also can be found here.
Abbreviated Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll
on behalf of GE. The survey ran from May 2-6, 2014, among 2,049 adults
ages 18 and older and from June 3-5, 2014, among 2,028 adults ages 18
and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and
therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About GE’s Digital Energy Business
GE’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in transmission and
distribution solutions that manage and move power from the power plant
to the consumer. Its products and services increase the reliability of
electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial
and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets
such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to delivering
analytic tools to help manage the power grid, GE’s Digital Energy
business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique
challenges of each customer. For more information, visit http://www.gedigitalenergy.com/.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best
technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in
energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering,
moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For
more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
Follow GE’s Digital Energy business on Twitter @GEModernGrid
and on YouTube.
Copyright Business Wire 2014