Societal Actors and Dominant Smart Grid Visions - Smart Grid (R) Evolution: Electric Power Struggles - page 98

4.6 Conclusions
Each of these societal actors plays an important role in developing future smart grid
pathways. Their perspectives, their ability to control the policy, decision making, and
implementation processes, and their visions of evolutionary or revolutionary change in
electricity systems are shaping smart grid advancement.
Among all the actors, smart grid development may offer the most direct and near-term
benefits - and perhaps the greatest near-term challenges - to electric power utilities. Smart
grid technologies allow an unprecedented level of system control, changing generation and
grid management as well as shifting relationships with their customers. Smart grid also
exposes them to new risks and vulnerabilities as more customers gain the capability to
produce their own electricity. With variable renewable electricity integrated into electricity
systems, utilities will be increasingly called on to ensure system reliability.
The next three chapters illustrate diverse ways that societal actors are engaging on
specific aspects of smart grid development. In Chapter 5 , we focus on the most publicly
visible part of smart grid - the smart meter. In that chapter we explore how utilities,
consumers, civil society actors, and public policymakers interact in different places to
support or thwart smart meter installation. Chapter 6 then focuses on the interaction of
multiple institutional actors in developing and integrating renewable wind resources into
the electric grid. In Chapter 7 , we explore the push to create community electricity systems
and microgrids which link consumers, technology developers, and policymakers in novel
ways. Each of these chapters explores the shifting roles of societal actors across smart grid
development. The penultimate Chapter 8 then explores specific linkages between smart
grid and climate change. Crucial questions regarding which societal actors have control
and which societal actors benefit from different smart grid pathways and configurations are
explored throughout the remaining sections of the topic.
References
APPA. (2013) U.S. Electric Utility Industry Statistics . Washington, DC: American Public
Power Association.
APPA. (2014) Smart Grid . Washington, DC: American Public Power Association.
Booth, A., N. Demirdoven, and H. Tai. (2010) The Smart Grid Opportunity for Solutions
Providers. www.mckinsey.com/ ∼ /media/McKinsey/dotcom/client_service/EPNG/PDFs/
McK%20on%20smart%20grids/MoSG_SolutionProviders_VF.ashx
BPA. (2014) BPA and Smart Grid . Portland, OR: Bonneville Power Association.