SMART METERS EMERGING

Smart Meter Uprising: An industry brief spotlighting the burgeoning U.S. smart meter market from 2009 – 2011
August 2011 (Zpryme)

"…Largely due to the aggressive U.S. effort to modernize its electric grid, pros and cons…for smart meters are still aggressively being debated; nonetheless the number of smart meters installed in the U.S. has ballooned over the past several years – with just over fifty utilities deploying the bulk of the investment.

"The Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE)… states that investments in smart meter systems make economic sense, and that the consumer-driven savings could be much greater..."

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"From 2009 to March of 2011, the number of smart meters installed among the group of 51 utilities grew by 81%...In 2009, 18% of customers served by the 51 utilities had a smart meter. As of March 2011, this figure has increased to 34%...

"Despite poor economic conditions in the U.S., utilities will continue to deploy smart meters at a rapid pace…The U.S. is on pace to meet the Obama Administration’s goal of 40 million smart meters by 2015…The market for consumer facing energy management applications, software, and devices will enter a high-growth phase in 2012…[and] utilities that have deployed smart meters to more than 50% of their customer base [will lead in] products and technologies beyond AMI and smart meters."